State breaks ground on agribusiness hub Aloha State Daily Michael Brestovansky November 14, 2025 Original Article State officials broke ground Friday on a long-awaited Wahiawā agriculture and food hub. The Agribusiness Development Corporation and Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism held a ceremony Friday to commemorate the start of construction for the Central O‘ahu Agriculture and Food Hub, a facility built on a 34-acre parcel in Whitmore Village that will serve to expand the state's food production base. The hub is intended to provide manufacturing and industry services at commercial scale, allowing local producers to expand and export out of state. On top of workforce housing developments, the facility is planned to include more than 60,000 square feet of greenhouses, a high-pressure processing facility for food preservation, a manufacturing facility, warehouse space and more. Meanwhile, the state Department of Education will also construct a Central O‘ahu Regional Kitchen in the hub, which will connect produce from local farms to school cafeterias, serving as a model for similar regional hubs across the state. Partners in the project — which include DBEDT, the ADC and DOE, as well as the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, UH Community College System, state Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of Law Enforcement — hope the hub will help fulfill a pair of mandates whose deadlines are approaching fast. In 2019, Act 151 required Hawai‘i to double local food production and exports by 2030. Then, in 2021, Act 175 established the state farm-to-school program, with a goal of using locally produced food to make at least 30% of public school meals, also by 2030. Another state deadline is further off, but approaching no less swiftly: Act 176, passed in 2021, requires state departments to use local sources for 50% of their food by 2050. State Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz said the project is a big step to make those state goals more physically real and prompt greater buy-in from the public and other stakeholders. "Depending on the commodity we're trying to scale up, whether that's rice or leafy greens or cattle ... we're going to need facilities like these to help those farmers scale up." ADC Executive Director Wendy Gady said the hub represents about $28 million in water, sewer and utility infrastructure, funded through a DOE grant. A presentation by the ADC suggests that the project has cost upwards of $120 million since the purchase of the land in 2012. "About 40% of all crops grown never make it to market," Gady said. "When it comes to the farmer's market or retail, you want to to look for the homecoming court, the beautiful fruit, the beautiful vegetables, but there's a place for the rest of us not on the homecoming court. This gives an opportunity for the bell peppers to go into chili, to go onto pizza ... and it's a huge economic boost for our farmers and our food distributors." According to a project website, the hub is anticipated to be fully completed in 2029, although individual components of the hub could go online sooner. For example, the high-pressure processing facility has a completion date of Sept. 2026.

Hawaii lawmakers prepare to replenish lost federal funds Hawaii News Now Daryl Huff February 26, 2025 Original Article HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - The layoffs of nearly 150 fire survivors on Maui may just be the beginning of the end of federal funding for scores of Hawaii nonprofits. Now lawmakers are laying the groundwork to protect the state safety net. Because the state treasury is in relatively good shape, lawmakers are looking into whether they can fill in where the federal government has backed off. More than 200 nonprofits in Hawaii provide direct service to poor, elderly, disabled and disadvantaged communities with federal funds in the hundreds of millions of dollars. So far, only a handful have been directly impacted by Trump administration freezes, but at a hearing Wednesday, senators began planning for a worst-case scenario for essential nonprofits. Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz described the kinds of agencies that might qualify “as providing crucial, programmatic aid and outreach in the health and services sector.” Dela Cruz told Hawaii News Now that the bill is a vehicle for a difficult process. “We’re going to have to prioritize,” he said, “because there’s only so much money to go around.” Because it could take months before it’s clear where the cuts have fallen, Dela Cruz wants to be prepared in case the governor has to call lawmakers into an emergency session. “What the bill does is at least it gives us some options to hopefully strategically respond to the cuts at some point,” Dela Cruz said. For many on Maui, that time has come after 27 agencies and nearly 150 jobs were cut after money from a federal Department of Labor grant ran out. The state says it’s looking for funds to replenish the agencies. But Sen. Troy Hashimoto, D-Wailuku, Kahului, Waihee, Waikapu Mauka, Waiehu, said this is an emergency that qualifies for emergency funding. “I think we as a state need to step up,” he said. “I think we will have to work with the governor’s office to see what state resources we can immediately allocate.” The biggest dilemma for lawmakers is that if they step up with state money, they have no idea how deep the Trump budget cuts will go or how long they will last. Hashimoto is a veteran of budget battles at the Capitol, so he is not suggesting this will be an easy or automatic decision. “What becomes the priority, you know? Because we have our state programs that we have to continue,” he said. “Can we pick up all the federal programs?”

Helicopter searching for signs of invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle in Waikōloa Big Island Now Big Island Now Staff December 3, 2024 Original Article If you live in Waikōloa or the surrounding area and noticed a helicopter flying low overhead today, you might have wondered why. Hawai‘i state Sen. Tim Richards, who represents the Big Island’s Senate District 4 (North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikōloa, North Kona), explained in a Facebook post that the Spatial Data Analysis and Visualization Labs at University of Hawai‘i at Hilo is conducting a low-altitude helicopter flight over Waikōloa until noon today. The flight, which started at 10 a.m., is part of an effort to collect aerial imagery of palm trees in the Waikōloa area to identify potential damage caused by the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle. It’s in partnership with the Big Island Invasive Species Committee. The data gathered will help the committee improve its palm surveys and target trees that might need further inspection. What this means for Waikōloa area residents: The helicopter is flying low to capture detailed imagery. If a tree on your property needs further inspection, the Big Island Invasive Species Committee will contact you. Trees found to have coconut rhinoceros beetle damage could qualify for free treatment by the Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Response Hawai‘i team and Hawai‘i Department of Agriculture. “Thank you for your cooperation in protecting Hawai‘i’s palms!” said Richards in his post. For more information or to get on the list for a free property survey, call/text the Big Island Invasive Species Committee at 808-731-9232 or email to biisc@hawaii.edu .

UH research highlights traditional speakers of ʻŌlelo Niʻihau dialect Maui Now August 15, 2025 Original Article On the leeward side of Kaua’i, Ke Kula Niʻihau O Kekaha — a pre-K-12 charter school — is celebrating its 25th anniversary and a major milestone in preserving ʻŌlelo Niʻihau, the Niʻihau dialect. The school announced it has authored and published more than 400 books in the language, with a selection now on display at the Līhuʻe Public Library. This cultural preservation work was highlighted during a Senate Committee on Ways and Means update in which the Hawaiʻi State Public Charter School Commission discussed the school’s use of a $30,000 legislative appropriation. “Our journey started with five visionary women who understood the importance of prioritizing the future of ʻŌlelo Niʻihau through our youth and education,” said Tia Koerte, the school’s Poʻo Tumu. “Publishing over 400 books and creating a priceless archive of recorded interviews with our manaleo (native speakers) has become our life’s work.” A preliminary report on ʻŌlelo Niʻihau by Bradley McDonnell of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was also presented, highlighting the differences between the Niʻihau dialect and the more common ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi. “This is an important and exciting research that not only uplifts and calls attention to ʻŌlelo Niʻihau, but the Hawaiian language as a whole,” said Ed Noh, executive director of the charter school commission. Senate Vice President Michelle Kidani and Senate President Ronald Kouchi both emphasized the collective kuleana (responsibility) to provide resources and protect the language for future generations. “The Hawaiian language is vital for preserving the culture, its identity and history,” Kouchi said. “We must honor and protect this dialect.”

Hawaii bans ticket scalping after Bruno Mars Fan uproar Hypebot Chris Castle January 31, 2025 Original Article Bruno Mars fans have been hit hard by ticket scalpers, with resale prices soaring to thousands of dollars. Now the state of Hawaii bans ticket scalping via new legislation that bans re-sale markups, stop bots and protect consumers. Bruno Mars is a huge star everywhere but has exceptionally loyal fans in Hawaii. Unfortunately, this means he is a top target for bots and ticket resellers. At a 2018 concert at Honolulu Stadium, second row seats priced at $125 face were reportedly resold for $6,972 . As usual, the artist had nothing to do with these resellers and the artist did not make the reseller’s margin. If that’s not a market failure , I don’t know what is. That margin was driven by bots that are as close to resellers as one is to two and have been the subject of a lot of attention by lawmakers at the federal level and increasingly in the states. Bots have been illegal under federal law since 2016, but federal law enforcement authorities have done little to enforce that law to the great frustration of Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal who sponsored the legislation. This leaves enforcement to states and Hawaii is no exception. Hawaii state senators Chris Lee (D)*, Karl Rhoads (D)*, Joy San Buenaventura (D)*, and Lorraine Inouye (D), have introduced legislation under Hawaii’s consumer protection authority that would limit resale prices to the face price of any ticket . The bill language states: "The legislature finds that popular events held in the State attract secondary market profiteers, commonly known as scalpers. Scalpers often utilize computer software to navigate a ticket-selling platform and its security measures in a fraction of the time as a human being to purchase multiple tickets and conduct multiple transactions simultaneously. For example, in 2018, thousands of tickets for a concert held in the State by recording artist Bruno Mars ended up on third party websites at inflated prices. Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to eliminate the impact of scalpers on Hawaii residents by prohibiting tickets to be sold at a higher price than the original price charged by the primary venue ticket provider." See how easy that was? Does it make me uneasy to have government setting prices? It does, but it’s about the only way I can see in the current environment to stop resellers like StubHub from blatantly ripping off fans by leveraging their confederates in the vast bot ecosystem . If the federal government is not going to prosecute these people under existing laws, then don’t be surprised if the states pass their own consumer protection legislation with a host of penalties. The Hawaii legislation is scheduled for a January 30 hearing before Hawaii’s Senate Transportation and Culture and the Arts Committee. Fingers crossed it gets voted out of the committee. We should not be surprised. It’s gotten so bad, fans are not going to tolerate bot scalping and under well-trodden principles of subsidiarity, it’s only appropriate for states to take charge. To coin a phrase, “don’t believe me just watch.”

Drought grips Big Island Hawaii Tribune-Herald John Burnett August 10, 2025 Original Article Drought conditions are becoming “a crisis” in some areas of Hawaii Island. Tina Stall, a National Weather Service hydrologist in Honolulu, said the driest areas are in the Ka‘u and Hamakua districts, as well as the leeward lower elevations of Kohala. “It’s really a lot of the same,” said Stall, comparing July’s rainfall and the first week of August to June. “There’s not much improvement for most areas, and the Hamakua and Ka‘u areas are still in pretty bad shape.” Hilo International Airport, with 3.75 inches of rain, and Waiakea Experimental Station, with 4.7 inches, had their driest July since 2010, while Hakalau, at 1.26 inches, experienced its driest July since 2011. Kealakomo, at 0.4 inches, had its second-driest July on record, as did Waimea, at 1.4 inches. Conditions on the island range from abnormally dry to extreme drought, and the absence of rain has left many areas quite dry and prone to wildfires. The Big Island has had several red flag warning days in the past month, the same conditions where abnormally arid and windy conditions lead to increased fire hazards. Those were the conditions in effect when Maui had the catastrophic fires two years ago that left more than 100 people dead. West Hawaii had wind-driven wildfires, as well, without the loss of life, but with seven structures destroyed or damaged. A brush fire on parched pastureland near Paauilo on Thursday blackened about 150 acres, requiring both county helicopters to make water drops and bulldozers to cut fire breaks. Another brush fire was reported in the area mid-afternoon Friday, causing a road closure on Highway 19 between the 36 and 39 mile markers and advisories to residents near Old Mill Road in Paauilo to be prepared for evacuation. On Saturday, there was a small fire near the 21-mile marker of Highway 19 on the Hamakua Coast that led to the temporary closure of the Hilo-bound lane. A nearby rain gauge in Honokaa received just 2.28 inches for July, 31% of its usual total for the month, and 19.38 inches for the first seven months of the year, 32% of average. “We’re about halfway through the dry season, so we’ve got a ways to go yet,” said Talmadge Magno, Hawaii County Civil Defense administrator. “We knew we were going to have an issue coming out of the wet season this past winter, because rainfall was below average already.” “I was talking … to the National Weather Service (on Thursday), and we’re probably about 50% under what we’re supposed to have,” Magno continued. “It’s contributing to fires, and you have some folks on catchment, so we’re monitoring that to make sure the Department of Water Supply has enough spigots out for folks, enough for the water haulers so they can provide for the folks who are on catchment. “We’re also encouraging people to order water early, before they run out, basically.” State Sen. Tim Richards of Waimea, a large-animal veterinarian who grew up on Kahua Ranch, said the drought in some areas — including Waimea, Kohala and Hamakua — “is absolutely a crisis.” “Because of our tropical grasses, most of our livestock get almost half of their water through grazing,” Richards said. “But when it’s really dry, the demand for water almost doubles because the livestock gets water from the grass itself. And that’s where it really strains our watering system. “The water systems are being put to the test. The Hamakua ranchers are running out of stock water. We just got permission to tap into the Waimea water system that (the state Department of Agriculture) runs to allow us to pull water for emergency services for livestock. We’re short of feed right now, but more pressing than that is the shortage of drinking water. “And of course, the crops, everything that relies upon rain, everything’s being impacted by that.”

Hawaii Farmers Face Risk of Crime Daily. Is A Killing Enough To Spur Reform? Civil Beat Thomas Heaton December 5, 2024 Original Article Cranston Pia came across intruders on the land on Oahu’s Leeward Coast where he raised his cattle. Their dogs, trained to hunt pigs, were attacking Pia’s calf in a pen. Ranchers like Pia know that hunters might kill their cattle to steal meat or sometimes lose control of their dogs. Pia grabbed his rifle and fired a single shot. A 17-year-old boy emerged from the bushes with a pistol and claimed the dogs were his, touching off an argument. Such a stand-off is nightmarish but common in Hawaii’s agricultural community. Farmers and ranchers are in constant battle with trespassers, would-be cattle rustlers, vandals and thieves who largely escape punishment with law enforcement often miles away. If offenders are caught, prosecutions are rare and the penalties are feeble. The confrontation at Ohikilolo Ranch on Feb. 17 ended with another gunshot — a fatal shot to Pia’s temple. Honolulu’s prosecuting attorney called it an “execution-style killing,” and charged 17-year-old Chantston Pila Kokawa. Pia’s death has brought the low-simmering issue of agricultural crime to a boil. After years of inaction and neglect, a handful of lawmakers and state officials now say they want to address it this legislative session. Potential responses include an agriculture-specific stand-your-ground law, allowing ranchers and farmers to defend themselves with lethal force. By one estimate, agricultural theft and vandalism cost farmers and ranchers more than $14 million, both for the cost of crime and preventing it. But that may be a serious undercount. In a 2019 U.S. Department of Agriculture survey, Hawaii farmers and ranchers reported almost 15,000 cases of trespass — yet just 970 cases of vandalism, theft and trespass were reported to the police. Only 8% of those reports led to an arrest. Hawaii’s agriculture industry, worth about $670 million, with about 12,000 producers, faces a host of challenges, including the oldest workforce in the nation and challenging economic conditions. And now farmers and ranchers say crime is on the rise, with reports of pilfered produce, rustled livestock, broken gates or fences and stolen vehicles among them. Trespassing is not as well publicized. “You can’t talk to one rancher that hasn’t been in the same situation as Cranston,” Big Island rancher Lani Cran Petrie said. “They just didn’t get shot.” Petrie has regularly faced off with trespassers on her land, and just over a year before Pia’s killing, she faced a remarkable scenario: She had the police with her when she caught trespassing hunters. The officers, flanking Petrie and husband Bill, responded to the rancher’s call in the early evening with AR-15s and kevlar vests. As the sun set, they surrounded two hunters — armed with a crossbow and rifle — deep in the ranch’s brushy thicket. This time, with the cops present, Petrie thought it was an open-and-shut case. The hunters – poachers as Petrie calls them – were caught in the act. But one year later, the day before Pia’s killing, just one of the hunters was charged with a suspended sentence for five hours of community service. Petrie says it’s scant punishment for someone she alleges is a repeat offender. She is “sure we’re going to catch him again.” Before Pia’s death, ranchers would typically confront trespassers. In Petrie’s case on the Big Island, she says she had encountered one of the hunters before and let them off with a warning. “Now our farmers and ranchers are thinking twice about confrontations,” Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council director Nicole Galase said. Part of the problem, according to both ranchers and law enforcement, is that the laws and enforcement are weak and the logistics of fighting crime in farther-flung agricultural areas are difficult. Trespassing on agricultural land is also classified as a petty misdemeanor that comes with a maximum of 30 days in prison and a $1,000 fine, for example, which officials told lawmakers had never been imposed fully in a hearing following Piaʻs death . That, according to Petrie, means many poachers will treat the fine like a payment to hunt. “You’re playing with fire. The only thing you can get these guys on is trespass. But it’s like a spark around gasoline. It escalates. Fast,” Petrie said. “Cattle are spooked – boom – they’re through a fence. Somebody says ‘F you,’ then suddenly everybody’s looking for their weapon.” Within two weeks of Pia’s killing, ranchers and farmers arrived at the State Capitol building in droves, cramming into a conference room alongside industry advocates, to share stories with lawmakers and officials about the realities of crime in the state’s agriculture. Farmer-friendly lawmakers grilled officials over why they were not paying enough attention to the issue. Pia’s death was at the top of their minds. “Hunting and trespassing in that area have just become normal,” Dustin Griffith, rancher and friend of Pia, told lawmakers on Feb. 29. “We call to get help, the police come out and say ‘Ah, it’s just trespassers, ah it’s just hunters.’ I guarantee it’s a big deal to me and I guarantee it’s a big deal to the Pia family.” Attorney General Anne Lopez told lawmakers that “we clearly have work to do” and that the new Department of Law Enforcement, formed in January, would play an integral role in that work. “Certainly the judges play a huge role in what actually happens … but that doesn’t mean that we can’t, as a group, reassess how assertive or maybe aggressive we are,” Lopez said. Since Pia’s death, senators Tim Richards of Big Island and Lynn DeCoite of Molokai have maintained pressure on those agencies to muscle up, which the Department of Law Enforcement has since said it is serious about. The department has responded positively to the call, despite not having funding for agricultural crime, because the current situation is what department deputy director Jared Redulla has called a “recipe for disaster.” Agricultural crime is more than just ranchers taking issue with trespassers. Farmers are subject to trespassers, vandals and thieves, who often case farms for expensive equipment and prize specialty crops. Less than two weeks ago, Big Island fruit farmer Ken Love once again found his trees stripped of valuable malama avocados, jackfruit and mamey sapote, despite the 6,000-volt fence surrounding them. The fence is tall enough for typical Big Island pests – feral goats or hogs – which means he now needs “a fence for two-legged pigs rather than four,” Love says. Fruit thieves arrive with the harvest of Hawaii’s seasonal fruits statewide, particularly for high-value crops like lychee or mangosteen — often found later in the state’s farmers markets. One thief was caught twice in June 2022, once with 150 pounds of lychee worth $1,200 and again with about $260 worth of mangosteen. He was sentenced to four years probation this year. But tracing stolen fruit once it makes it into the market is difficult, given they will likely be sold on as part of larger bunches. Love routinely reports thefts so that the police have agricultural crime on their minds. Has any one of those reports resulted in anything? “No. Never,” said Love, president of Hawaii Tropical Fruit Growers. “There are people who have caught thieves and nothing happened.” Piecemeal state and county initiatives have focused on the farmers markets, through the vendors who knowingly or unknowingly buy the purloined fruit. But with deep skepticism about law enforcement’s interest in ag crime, Hawaii farmers and ranchers are spending on their own security, up from $7.4 million in 2004 to $11.2 million in 2019, according to surveys. While the cost of security takes up much of the cost of agricultural crime, most farmers and ranchers think those numbers are very low and do not paint a full picture, partly due to a lack of reporting. In 2004, 17% of farms and ranches reported thefts or vandalism on their land — reported or not to police. That fell to 14% in 2019. “Those numbers are grossly underrepresented,” Hawaii Farm Bureau director Brian Miyamoto said. The lack of reporting and enforcement sparked disagreement between the authorities and farmers, with law enforcement claiming theft is either a non-issue or their hands are tied because there’s no tangible data, while farmers and ranchers say they don’t report it because nothing will come of it. Authorities have toyed with tracing produce with invisible ink, detectable with ultraviolet light, akin to how ranchers brand cattle. On the Big Island, the county hired a specialized agricultural inspector to monitor the supply chain between farms and the farmers markets as part of a state pilot study into the issue. But the initiatives tend to be pilot projects with temporary funding, and fade quickly, fueling farmers and ranchers’ frustrations. Richards, the senator and a generational rancher from Kohala on the Big Island, has faced trespassers, poachers, had horses stolen, and, less than two months ago, had one of his cowboys catch three armed hunters within a few hundred yards from his home, where his children were feeding the family’s horses. That poses a safety risk, as an errant bullet or arrow shot towards the house could have devastating consequences — as it did with Cranston Pia. Richards wants to figure out more appropriate trespass statutes for agriculture, laws that do not require fencing and “No Trespassing” signs, which are required to explicitly state that land is private. While Love’s fruit farm has a 6,000-volt fence to deter thieves, it doesn’t have placards to keep them out. “Everybody stole my no-trespassing signs. Four in the last year,” fruit grower Love said. “It’s sad but it’s funny.” Legislation has nevertheless been introduced for at least eight years, aimed at resolving longstanding issues between trespassers, poachers, hunters and ranchers. Fellow senator DeCoite pointed to each of them as a failed opportunity, saying they died because most of the Legislature’s city-dwelling lawmakers did not take it seriously. A 2016 bill would have made it easier to prosecute trespassing on agricultural land by removing a requirement for fencing or trespass warning signs. It failed in the Legislature after opposition from the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which feared it would impinge on Native Hawaiian gathering rights. Those rights are enshrined in the State of Hawaii’s constitution, allowing Native Hawaiians to gather certain goods on private lands. “Most of you believe that’s a crock of bull,” DeCoite said last month. “As a Native Hawaiian, I don’t have a problem with anyone gathering. Just ask first.” A 2018 pilot program report on the Big Island found that — in addition to providing better education for producers and law enforcement — a longstanding system for certifying ownership and movement forms of agriculture products was particularly effective in clamping down on the crimes, but only if there was enough enforcement of them. Love, the farmer on the Big Island, said the forms are still being used, though they are not very effective, despite authorities banking on them to help stem the flow of stolen produce. Now with the 2025 legislative session looming, Richards is mulling the creation of an agricultural crime commission, and is working with the Attorney General’s Office on a comprehensive bill to centralize and demystify laws that apply to agricultural theft, vandalism and trespass. The most controversial of Richards’ ideas may include a stand-your-ground law, which would allow the use of force in self defense when threatened with death. “Allow agriculture to protect itself,” he said. Stand-your-ground laws exist in about 28 states. Richards said he understands he will face significant pushback and does not want vigilantism to ensue. But Pia’s death lays the issue bare, which Richards believes his fellow lawmakers and the authorities need to take seriously. “You’re forcing it by not enforcing the current law,” Richards said. “What is agriculture supposed to do?” “ Hawaii Grown ” is funded in part by grants from the Stupski Foundation, Ulupono Fund at the Hawaii Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.

Senate Judiciary Committee passes wealth asset tax bill for assets above $20M Maui Now N/A February 1, 2025 Original Article The Hawaiʻi State Senate Committee on Judiciary passed Senate Bill 313 in a hearing Thursday morning, which would implement a wealth asset tax for assets valued over $20 million. “SB 313 is a significant step towards creating a fairer, more equitable economy,” said Judiciary Committee Chair Karl Rhoads, who introduced the bill. “This legislation pushes for those with the greatest resources to contribute their fair share to the prosperity of our state. By moving this bill forward, we are tackling inequality head-on and working to build an economy that benefits all, especially those who have been left behind for far too long.” If the bill becomes law, individuals with assets worth more than $20 million would pay a state tax on the value of their assets above that amount. For example, if someone has $25 million in assets, they would pay the tax on the $5 million that exceeds the $20 million threshold. The tax rate would be 1%. The Committee adopted Chair Rhoads’ recommendation to assess the tax every three years. SB 313 would include assets like real estate, stocks, bonds, cash, art and collectibles, in the calculation. Those subject to the wealth asset tax would report their assets to the Department of Taxation and pay the tax at the same time they file their regular state income taxes. If passed, the bill as amended would be applied to taxes due after Dec. 31, 2029. Sen. Rhoads has introduced similar legislation in the past – SB 925 in 2023, and SB 2389 in 2022. Massachusetts has already implemented a similar state wealth tax, with the money collected aimed at funding transportation and education programs, and other states are considering similar legislation.

New laws kick off 2025: Some aim to attract more nurses, doctors to Hawaii Hawaii Tribune Herald John Burnett January 7, 2025 Original Article A number of new laws took effect starting Jan. 1. At least four of those laws are related to medicine — with two intended to facilitate the licensing of physicians and nurses, which are in short supply in Hawaii. Act 112, from a bill introduced in 2023 by state Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, a Puna Democrat, makes Hawaii a part of the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. That affiliation will make it easier for licensed physicians coming to Hawaii from other states. The IMLC currently includes 40 states, including Hawaii, plus the District of Columbia and Guam, and three additional states have introduced legislation to join. “The interstate compact is one of the bills that (Hawaii Medical Service Association), Kaiser, and the military were all hoping would pass, because it will help them recruit more medical providers to Hawaii,” San Buenaventura told the Tribune-Herald while the Legislature was in session last year. “We also know there are doctors here in Hawaii that are retirees who would be more than willing to work part time, but don’t want to go through the effort of having to get re-licensed and re-credentialed.” The state estimates Hawaii has a shortage of 768 physicians statewide, a 21% deficit. Hawaii Island’s physician shortfall is estimated at 40%. Act 95, another new law, allows out-of-state licensed registered nurses and practical nurses who hold a multi-state license issued by another state, territory or country to apply for a temporary work permit simultaneously with an application for a license to practice in Hawaii. The act was one of 22 health care measures signed into law by Gov. Josh Green, a physician, on June 27 last year. Using federal Health Resources and Service Administration methodology, Hawaii this year is estimated to face a deficit of around 3,311 registered nurses alone, representing a 28% shortfall in the nursing workforce statewide. Big Island hospitals, including Hilo Benioff Medical Center, have turned to travel nurses to close the gap. Act 91 authorizes minors who are at least 14 years old to consent to medical care and services for sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy and family planning services, including the prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). It requires confidentiality policies and practices for insurers and health care providers. The law, part of governor’s legislative package introduced by Sen. President Ron Kouchi, closes what’s been described as a critical gap in minor access to medical services related to STIs, including HIV. For decades, Hawaii law has permitted minors aged 14 to 17 to independently consent to medical care for the treatment of STIs but not for prevention. Act 91 will permit minors 14 to 17 who are at risk for exposure to STIs to consent to medical care for the prevention of STIs. There is now medication that can be taken by an individual at risk for HIV in order to prevent infection. On Facebook, the state Department of Health said it “encourages minors to involve a parent or guardian in seeking medical care to prevent STIs.” “However, often minors who could benefit from this medical care do not involve parents or guardians out of fear of disclosing their sexual behavior or sexual orientation,” the post continues. “Act 91 will allow more teens to access medical care to help keep them safe.” And Act 104 allows licensed pharmacists to administer vaccines to persons 3 years of age or older without a prescription from a doctor, if certain requirements are met. Also taking effect on New Year’s Day are laws that: establishes kalo, the Hawaiian word for taro, as the state plant; expands the definition of “beer” to include alcoholic seltzers; requires lobbyists’ expenditures statements to include the identity of the legislative or administrative action that was commented on, supported by, or opposed by the person filing the statement; requires state legislators to include the names of lobbyists with whom the legislator has a relationship; requires public meeting notices to inform testifiers how to provide remote oral testimony allowing the testifier, upon request, to be visible to board members and other meeting participants; establishes judicial procedures to prevent and remedy abusive litigation; requires motion picture and other media productions to provide evidence of reasonable efforts to comply with all applicable requirements to qualify for the income tax credit; and expands the transient accommodations tax law to include certain shelters and vehicles with sleeping accommodations.

DOE Gets An F: Hawaiʻi Schools Miss Their First Local Food Target Honolulu Civil Beat Thomas Heaton January 10, 2025 Original Article The Hawaiʻi Department of Education bought just 5% of ingredients for school lunches from local producers last year, failing to hit its first state-mandated farm-to-school target of 10% for local foods. And that counts purchases of local bottled water. This translated to roughly $4.5 million of the education department’s $82 million in food spending during the 2023-2024 school year for local produce, dairy, ground beef and poi among other staples, according to a report school officials will present Friday to the House Finance Committee. The department’s failure does not come as a shock to many in farm-to-school circles who have for years criticized the approach and speed of the agency’s work to integrate locally grown food into school meals. The mandated increase in spending was intended to ensure children received more nutritious meals and to give an economic boost to Hawaiʻi farmers and ranchers. “I’m really saddened and frustrated but definitely not surprised,” former teacher and farm-to-school advocate Rep. Amy Perruso said. Locally sourced and cultivated dairy accounted for 0.51% of the state Department of Education’s food spending during the 2023-2024 school year. (Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022) The state tasked the department with increasing its local food spending incrementally, starting this year at 10% and ending in 2050 when it is expected to spend 50% of its food budget on local produce. But the department backslid since the goals were set. In 2022, local food accounted for 6.2% of the state’s food purchasing, 0.8% higher than the latest school year. The report to state lawmakers shows ground beef made up the lion’s share of the department’s total spending on local food, accounting for 3% during the 2023-2024 school year. Fruit and vegetables accounted for 1.83% and less than 1% for poi, dairy and locally sourced bottled water. The bottled water, from Hilo, is offered a la carte for students purchasing school meals in the cafeteria and is deemed a “local processed product,” DOE spokeswoman Nanea Ching said in an email. It is a “creative stretch” to include bottled water in the report to the Legislature, Hawaiʻi Farmers Union advocacy director Hunter Heaivilin said, one that he is certain Hawaiʻi farmers did not benefit from. The department spent more than $40 million on imported processed foods in the 2023-2024 school year, accounting for 56.75% of its ingredients, the remaining 37.82% was spent on imported meat, fresh produce and dairy. DOE officials have in the past blamed local food industry's weak supply, price point, and flimsy supply chains for the lack of progress. Agriculture and farm-to-school advocates have largely rebuked that idea, saying the DOE's School Food Services Branch has been too opaque and inflexible to sell local food to. The department has consistently shown "reticence to pursue public will that has been embodied in state law," said Heaivilin, a food systems planner. To be sure, there are products that Hawaiʻi farmers will not be able to grow competitively or affordably enough for the department, such as apples, potatoes and rice. So the DOE should alter meals to better suit the local food system, Heaivilin said, or it should consider changing the way it reports its progress, so food producers have a greater understanding of what they could grow. "Some of these could be automatic import replacements, some of these could require changing menus," Heaivilin said. Hawai‘i Grown This ongoing series delves deep into what it would take for Hawai‘i to decrease its dependence on imported food and be better positioned to grow its own. Read More Ching said the DOE plans to host forums with vendors to guide them on the department's procurement laws, among other things, to help farmers, ranchers and other food producers better negotiate deals with them across the islands. The department has nevertheless failed to meet its mandated goal this year, casting doubt over the program's success. Lawmakers will have to resolve a discrepancy in laws by 2030 because two different laws — 2021's Act 175 and Act 144 from 2022 — show different targets, one being 30% and the other 18%. Perruso said she's not sure there are consequences either way for the department failing to meet the targets. The department has banked on the development of a centralized mega-kitchen model , based on mainland school food operations and local chain restaurant Zippy's , which prepares food in a central location to distribute throughout each island. The DOE signed a contract for the first kitchen's construction late last year, worth almost $30 million, to be built in Whitmore Village on Oʻahu. With the kitchen, strongly supported by Senate Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz , the DOE hopes to iron out kinks in the supply chain on its way to reaching mandated goals. Perruso said the Legislature is also partly to blame for the department's failure to meet the goal, having left the department with just one position dedicated to the task. That role was not filled until August last year, after being vacant for three years. Randy Tanaka, DOE's former facilities superintendent, said he was doing the job himself until he was fired in late 2023. "It's not going to be possible for one person to effectuate that change," Perruso said, so the state needs to intervene to help the department achieve the goals. " Hawai‘i Grown " is funded in part by grants from the Stupski Foundation, Ulupono Fund at the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.

Bill to require nonresident user fees at state parks and trails clears key Senate panel Maui Now Brian Perry February 20, 2025 Original Article The Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously recommended passage Tuesday of a bill to set user fees only for nonresidents visiting state parks and trails. Senate Bill 439 would require the Board of Land and Natural Resources to adopt rules to impose user fees that solely apply to nonresidents visiting state parks and trails, as selected by the board. In written testimony submitted to the committee , Land Board Chair Dawn Chang said the department already has 10 parks statewide with parking and entry fees. Four parks have advanced reservations systems in place to manage public access and collect fees. The Maui state parks are Mākena State Park, ʻĪao Valley State Monument and Waiʻānapanapa State Park in Hāna. Parking and entrance fees at state parks are already levied only upon out-of-state visitors, she said. Hawaiʻi residents are free, and they do not require advance reservations to enter state parks. “State Parks has been evaluating the inventory of all park units and has established certain criteria to apply to determine the efficacy of charging for parking and entry – and if reservation-based access is warranted,” Chang said. State Parks has identified five additional park units to consider adding parking and entry fees and reservation-based access, but none are in Maui County. The five parks are: Kekaha Kai (Kona Coast) Kua Bay State Park, Wailoa River State Recreation Area – Rainbow Falls and Kealakekua Bay on Hawaiʻi Island; Wailua River on Kauaʻi; and Pu’u Ulaka’a State Wayside Park on Oʻahu. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs supported the bill, but reminded lawmakers that the legislation should make it clear that before state park visitor fees are deposited in the State Park Special Fund, OHA’s pro rata 20% must be deducted as part of the public lands trust. “Hawaiʻi’s position as a premiere visitor destination is due in large part to the access to our oceans and mountains that are generally available free of charge,” OHA said. “A visitor fee is therefore appropriate and fair to ensure that visitors who are able to enjoy our State Parks also contribute to the costs of maintenance, which in addition to facilities and utilities maintenance often includes invasive species control, erosion mitigation, and other costs related to ongoing environmental threats.” Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo, a grass-roots community organization formed to improve communities’ quality of life through care of Hawaiʻi’s natural and cultural heritage, testified in support of the bill to help “offset some of the environmental and community well-being degradations caused by our historically overly extractive tourism industry by infusing the state’s Department of Land and Natural Resources with much-needed funds dedicated to the protection, management and restoration of Hawaiʻi’s natural resources.” The organization noted that the Hawaiʻi state constitution requires the protection and enforcement of Native Hawaiian rights, including traditional and customary practices that are intrinsically dependent on threatened natural resources. “ Hawaiʻi’s biocultural resources are also a part of the public trust, and must be managed and protected for the benefit of current and future generations, Kuaʻāina Ulu ʻAuamo said. “It is no secret that the historical and existing models of tourism continue to negatively affect our home, causing overcrowding and strain on our water, food, and special places – making life much less enjoyable for residents, and at the ultimate expense of our fragile ecosystems with native plants and animals being the most vulnerable.” The organization pointed out that many other governments around the world are taking steps to “correct the underinvestment in their natural resources,” including Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Galapagos Islands and the Republic of Palau. “It is time that Hawaiʻi – widely-known as one of the most exploited tourist destinations in the world – follows suit, to best protect our fragile environment, which Native Hawaiians and kamaʻāina hope to continue stewarding for generations to come.” The Tax Foundation of Hawaii questioned whether the fee for out-of-state visitors might be challenged as an unconstitutional violation of the Privileges and Immunities Clause. It requires that “the citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several states.” Although it has been held that a state may treat out-of-state residents differently in some situations, such as in granting licenses for recreational hunting, the court held in the 1978 case Baldwin v. Fish & Game Commission of Montana that the result may be different when the nonresident is not given access to any part of the state to which he or she may seek to travel. This is because the court has recognized that the Constitution protects the right of citizens of the United States to travel freely throughout the land, according to the Tax Foundation. Other, more recent federal court cases, have sustained the power of government to charge a user fee whose proceeds are dedicated to protect and preserve the natural attraction for which the user fee was charged, such as Hanauma Bay on Oʻahu. And the Hawaii Supreme Court, in State v. Medeiros, held that the following test would be applied to distinguish between a user fee and a tax: “whether the charge (1) applies to the direct beneficiary of a particular service, (2) is allocated directly to defraying the costs of providing the service, and (3) is reasonably proportionate to the benefit received.” “Applying this test, the proposed user fee looks more like a tax,” the Tax Foundation said. “Although the fee is collected in a special fund, it can be spent on any park or trail, not only the park or trail that the payor of the fee paid to enter or use. Indeed, the uses to which the money in the fund can be put are broad and varied, and are not limited to the care and upkeep of natural attractions visited by tourists.” Members of the Ways and Means Committee voting in favor of the bill were Chair Donovan Dela Cruz, Vice Chair Sharon Moriwaki and Central Sen. Troy Hashimoto. Other committee members voting “aye” were Sens. Henry Aquino, Brandon Elefante, Lorraine Inouye, Dru Mamo Kanuha, Michelle Kidani, Donna Mercado Kim, Chris Lee, Glenn Wakai and Kurt Fevella. Sen. Lynn DeCoite of Moloka‘i, East Maui, Upcountry and Lāna‘i was absent and excused.

Working group set to meet to discuss bringing nuclear energy to Hawaii KHON2 Stephen Florino July 23, 2025 Original Article HONOLULU (KHON2) — Nuclear power is long known for its destructive power and potential health risks. But it’s also a source of energy. And there is a working group set to meet later this year to discuss bringing it to Hawaii. The cost of keeping the lights on in Hawaii is high. “We spend more than 4 times the national average for our utility bills,” said Sen. Glenn Wakai, who serves as the chair of the Senate Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee. “And we have so much solar and wind on the grid and we know that sometimes Mother Nature doesn’t play to our desires.” As part of the state’s goal to reach 100-percent renewable energy by 2045, lawmakers passed a resolution this session to form a working group to talk about bringing nuclear energy to Hawaii – even though the technology still isn’t ready. “I’m a believer that if the science is going this way, the policy should be meeting it at a certain point rather than the science having ready for consumer use, and then we figuring out the policy,” Wakai said. Some say this is not the nuclear energy of decades past – like Fukushima or three-mile island. “It’s having conversations, but it is wasting public time and money to explore something that common sense, if you know anything about this industry, says is just not even a good idea,” said Mike Ewall, Energy Justice Network. Technology is better and small modular reactors, or SMR’s, could work in Hawaii. But others mention nuclear waste, costs – which at this time are not known – and the health risks. “They can and do lead to increases in breast cancer, leukemia, birth defects, infant mortality, those types of problems,” Ewall said. “We need a better option and nuclear has the potential to provide some of that base load,” said Monique Zanfes, Hawaii Energy Office Efficiency and Renewable Energy managing director. “It is a firm source of energy, but right now the technology, again, is just, it’s too nascent.” Even if this working group was in favor of bringing nuclear to Hawaii, there’s one big problem – nuclear is actually illegal here per our state constitution. So to change it, it would need to be approved by both two-thirds of the State House and two-thirds of the State Senate. The working group is scheduled to convene in September and have a report ready for lawmakers before next session. “Ultimately, we have to keep the lights on and we have to do it at a reasonable cost and we keep all options on the table,” said Zanfes.