Trump’s Actions Prompt Surge In Public Forums As Worries About Cutbacks Climb Honolulu Civil Beat Chad Blair April 6, 2025 Original Article On a muggy night in Makiki in March, as rain clouds darkened the skies above Stevenson Middle School, dozens of residents gathered inside the school’s cafeteria to learn about a more consequential storm brewing nationwide. The occasion was a town hall for the Maikiki-Punchbowl-Papakōlea neighborhoods, organized by state Sen. Carol Fukunaga and featuring two other elected officials, state Rep. Della Au Belatti and Honolulu City Councilman Tyler Dos Santos-Tam. The primary topic that evening was the draconian funding cuts that are coming out of the two-month-old administration of President Donald Trump. As Fukunaga warned in her invite to the town hall, any significant cuts may mean essential programs and services “that our communities rely on every day” could be severely impacted. Town halls are a hallmark of American democracy. Typically, they include discussions of public safety, pending legislation and neighborhood concerns. Of late, many have focused on current crises such as invasive species. But the actions of the Trump administration have raised anxiety and uncertainty to a new level. Constituents are looking to local leaders for answers — and help. Town halls are a direct way to share what local government is doing about it. For the Legislature, that includes possible special sessions the weeks of Aug. 25, Sept. 29 and Nov. 17. Those align with when Congress must approve a new federal budget agreement, which is operating on a continuing resolution until the end of September. Belatti spoke first that night, underscoring Fukunaga’s alert. Hawaiʻi and its people, she said, need to brace themselves for the harsh realities that are likely coming, especially cuts to federal entitlement programs like Medicaid and others that so many in Hawaiʻi depend on. “When we talk about what’s been happening at the federal level, and the chaos and the executive orders and saying people are going to be fired and people are going to lose their jobs over cutting grant funding — when those things come down, it affects directly our community,” she said. “And that’s the kind of thing that the three of us have been monitoring for the last three months.” “It feels like it’s been five years,” she said. Belatti, a progressive Democrat, rejected arguments from the president and his advisor, Elon Musk of the ad-hoc Department of Government Efficiency, that federal funds used locally amount to fraud, waste and abuse. She said she sees firsthand how the monies are helping people get by. “It’s actually going to communities that are doing the work that we tasked them to do,” she said, mentioning especially support for the sick and poor. Belatti choked up a little, her eyes brimming. She asked the audience to give her a second so that she could “get a little emotional, because it’s been very much a whirlwind moment in time I have never seen in my 18 years of government. “I thought Covid was bad,” Belatti said. “This is actually worse than Covid because of the chaos and uncertainty that we’re all living in.” ‘Everyone Is Hands On Deck’ Trump has been in office less than 100 days, but the speed of his executive orders and the shredding of federal agencies by DOGE have been dizzying, disorienting and unending. The biggest threat from Trump-Musk for many legislators is to Medicaid. U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono, citing data from the U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee, said in a recent press release that nearly 20% of Hawaiʻi’s population is covered under the health care program for low-income individuals and families. It can be very confusing to keep track of all that is going on. But in a small blue state like Hawaiʻi, lawmakers like Belatti, Fukunaga and Dos Santos-Tam are leveling with constituents, refusing to sugarcoat the seriousness of what they describe as an unprecedented and growing crisis. The idea of holding special sessions later this year, said Belatti, is to be able to respond to any fiscal shortfalls or needs that arise. While the state has set aside several hundred million dollars in emergency funding in the event it has to draw on the money to compensate for federal cuts to programs, the lawmakers said it may not be enough. Belatti said she is on calls with legislators all over the country, comparing votes and planning for what’s next. “That’s how critical this situation is,” she told the crowd at Stevenson Intermediate. “Everyone is hands on deck, because this is going to potentially affect communities.” At The Federal Level Town halls have not been limited to state and county offices. U.S. Reps. Ed Case and Jill Tokuda have been holding their own forums in the islands since Trump’s inauguration, some in person, some by phone, some online. For Case, it included a “talk story” in February where he said that Americans are living in dangerous times. Tokuda’s forums included one on Maui where she said many in attendance expressed fear, anger and frustration at what’s happening in D.C. Hawaiʻi has no Republican representative in Congress, and county offices are nonpartisan. At the Legislature, Senate Minority Leader Brenton Awa said he was not planning any town halls in his district about the Trump cuts. And House Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto said nothing is planned during session for her caucus. “We are probably going to do our listening tour again this summer but not specifically about Trump,” she said. At the March 18 Makiki town hall some local issues — condo insurance, little fire ants, fireworks, schools — were on some people’s minds. But the Trump-Musk cuts dominated the remarks from the legislators. Belatti said she is worried that the Legislature has not set aside enough money in the event the state has to shoulder more of the costs of federal cuts. “We did put $200 million in the rainy day fund, ” she said. “I will tell you, that’s not going to be enough. It’s just not. The Senate is moving a grant-in-aid bill that’s going to potentially help address kind of the human, medical, health care resources, those kinds of nonprofits that are our partners. But again, I don’t know that that’s going to be enough as well.” Fukunaga also worried that monies set aside by the House and Senate to protect social services may not be enough. Her chamber recently passed the grant-in-aid bill, Senate Bill 933, which she described as a “kind of a catch-all bill” that would temporarily fund nonprofits that have lost federal funding or positions. But it’s only a temporary fix. When it comes to budget decisions, Fukunaga said she and her colleagues are “taking each day one step at a time, and at least trying to put different vehicles in place so that if there are specific emergency areas that we can respond quickly.” She said that the Legislature is in close contact with the congressional delegation and the governor and lieutenant governor. She also encouraged people in the audience to be engaged, and to donate time and money to groups in need. “This is really a time to start thinking about how we all get together so that we can mobilize our communities to survive whatever lies ahead,” she said. Anne Smoke, who lives in a condo in the Punchbowl area, said she was grateful for the Makiki town hall and for the work of her representatives in government. “I’m concerned about what’s happening,” she said in an interview after the forum. “I feel for all of them, because they are really carrying a burden. There isn’t probably a minute that goes by that they’re not watching to see what’s next.” “They’re on it — that was my impression — and they’re trying to prepare.” Concerns At County Level, Too Budget cuts will roll down to county level. Dos Santos-Tam, chair of the City and County of Honolulu’s budget committee, told the audience that 12% of Honolulu’s $4 billion budget comes from federal funds. The Department of Transportation Services, which runs Skyline and the bus system, is among the most dependent on that funding. What “keeps me up at night,” he said, are possible cuts to homeless services. “If they don’t have the staff, if they lose grant funding, there’s just not going to be people to go out and do these sorts of services,” Dos Santos-Tam said. Mayor Rick Blangiardi has set aside about $30 million for stop-gap purposes in case of federal cuts, something Dos Santos-Tam supports. “But I’m also deeply concerned that $30 million is not enough,” he said at the town hall. “What do we do after that $30 million is exhausted? We can’t just sit on our hands and let people in our community suffer, but we don’t have all the answers. We’re limited in terms of our property taxes.” Dos Santos-Tam said he was not trying to scare people, but he made clear at the town hall that constituents should be concerned about possible serious cuts to programs they depend on. Concerns about county funding extend to the neighbor islands, which also receive funding from D.C. Heather Kimball is a Hawaiʻi County Council member and president of the Hawaiʻi State Association of Counties. She and state Rep. Matthias Kusch held a town hall at Honokaʻa People’s Theatre March 30, one of several held recently by area lawmakers on the Big Island. Kimball told Civil Beat that about 10% of Hawaiʻi County’s revenue comes from intergovernmental sources that are the direct result of federal funding that passes through the state to the county. That figure currently is around $96 million, and Kimball said the county officials are concerned “about how much of that is actually going to come through, directly or indirectly.” Like Dos Santos-Tam, she said cuts would primarily strike mass transit, housing and social services. Kimball said she is not yet at a “point of panic.” “I strongly believe in the constitutional protections of a three-branch system and the role of bureaucracy, and it’s getting tested regularly,” she explained. “Let me say that optimism is tested regularly on a daily basis.” Kimball also spoke at an online briefing March 28 sponsored by the Hawaiʻi Alliance of Nonprofits, where she elaborated on her concerns about federal cuts — namely, to Medicaid. “From our standpoint, health services are primarily managed through the state, but the indirect impacts of reduction in funding and SNAP benefits, TANF benefits or other Medicaid services could have an impact on the ability of the state to pass through some critical funding to all four counties.” Kimball’s advice to the counties and nonprofits that received federal funds for Covid relief and under the Inflation Reduction Act is to make sure those monies are encumbered so that they can be used as intended. Up Next Belatti said the Makiki town hall was just one example of community engagement. Up next for her is a forum set for Wednesday evening at Waiwai Collective on University Avenue. “Our Kuleana: Fighting for Hawaiʻi’s Future,” which will focus on federal and state budget cuts, features Kai Kahele, chair of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Trustees; Deb Zysman, Hawaii Children’s Action Network’s executive director; Noelani Goodyear-Ka‘opua, a UH Mānoa professor; Will White from Hawaii Appleseed; and state Rep. Tina Grandinetti. The forum will be moderated by state Rep. Ikaika Hussey. Echoing other lawmakers, he told Civil Beat the state is not only facing the likelihood of huge cuts to federal monies but also a reduced revenue stream locally. “There’s the revenue that we’re no longer getting because of the tax reforms that were just passed in the last session,” he said. “So there’s a pretty hefty amount that we need to cover.” That conversation, said Hussey, should include discussion of shifting away from depending on imports by growing the size of the local economy.

Community to celebrate life of Ka'ū Calendar editor Julia Neal Big Island Now Tiffany DeMasters February 7, 2025 Original Article Julia Neal, founder of the monthly publication the Ka‘ū Calendar and owner of the Pāhala Plantation Cottages, has been described as compassionate, generous, a community advocate and a dedicated journalist. On Jan. 24, the Pāhala resident for about 30 years passed away in her home on Jan. 24. She was 75. “Everybody knew who she was and what she did,” said Iopa Maunakea, founder of the nonprofit Men of Pa‘a. “That lady impacted the community just by her paper alone. She had a lot of integrity.” Neal kept people from Miloli‘i to Pāhala informed of the goings-on in Hawai‘i Island’s sprawling rural district. From county elections to the controversial proposed resort development in Punalu‘u, Neal reported on the community truthfully. On Saturday, the community is invited to celebrate Neal’s life at 9 a.m. at the Plantation House at 96-3209 Maile St. in Pāhala. With Neal now gone, the Ka‘ū Calendar will cease operations, with its final publication to run later this month. The community is invited to submit letters, prayers, poems and art in honor of Neal to contribute to the final issue. Send submissions to tibarra2000@gmail.com by Feb. 14. Neal also ran a bed and breakfast and vacation rental business called the Pāhala Plantation Cottages, where she hosted weddings, science camps, music festivals and a variety of community events and gatherings. “Her love for Ka‘ū’s unique community and culture and realization that the rural region lacked organized print media inspired her to start the Ka‘ū Calendar,” said Neal’s nephew, William Neal. “She also firmly believed that bringing the voices of those who call Ka‘ū home to the forefront on the region’s most consequential issues was imperative.” William Neal said his aunt was the hardest-working person he ever knew. “Few have had the passion and drive that she had,” he said. “Every day, she would wake up to report on the happenings of the community and national stories of consequence for Hawai‘i at large without missing a day.” Neal covered community events, including the Ka‘ū Coffee Festival, high school graduations and the Pāhala Christmas Parade. She also hosted countless concerts at her property. One Facebook user said they can’t imagine Pāhala without Neal, who always was wearing a hat and smiling. William Neal said his aunt largely ran the paper alone. “She did have some help with graphic design putting the paper together and from time to time throughout the years she had some folks help her take photos for stories or seek advertisers,” he said. “But largely the day-to-day reporting was all done by Julia.” Neal was born in Missouri to a military family that was always on the move. She grew up in several places around the U.S. and Europe, including Kentucky, New York, Germany and France. In the 1980s, Neal worked as a photographer for The Garden Island newspaper on Kaua‘i, working her way up to editor of the publication. Senate Speaker Ron Kouchi was elected as a Kaua‘i County Council member when he met Neal, who at the time was a reporter at The Garden Island. “It was a time when reporters would sit through the entire county council meetings,” Kouchi said. “They were firey journalists and did a lot of homework and research.” Kouchi said Neal covered the development controversy of Nukoli‘i. According to a 2016 Honolulu Civil Beat article by the now Kaua‘i State Rep. Luke Evslin, the fight over Nukoli‘i was “Kaua‘i’s worst political crisis since statehood.” Developers were trying to build a resort on Kaua‘i’s east shore. Although the vacant land at Nukoli‘i was upzoned to urban by the State Land Use Commission in 1974, no building could occur until the county changed the zoning to resort. According to the Civil Beat article, the Planning Department, through the Līhu‘e Development Plan, recommended resort zoning in 1978, which sparked a wave of protests. While they were on opposite sides of the issue, Kouchi supporting development and Neal opposing it, the senator said she wrote the story with all the facts, allowing readers to make their own choices. “She was a professional,” Kouchi said. “She held you to the fire and asked the hard questions.” After turning 40, Neal moved to the Big Island to start a new life in Pāhala. Men of Paʻa’s Maunakea said Neal was involved in everything from housing to education. “She was fearless about reporting things in Punalu‘u,” Maunakea said. Maunakea met Neal four years ago. She opened up her cottages to the nonprofit when the members would stay overnight while in Ka‘ū to do service projects. He said Neal always made it a point to spend time with the group during their stays. “She opened doors for us to engage our community service with the Ka‘ū region,” Maunakea said. Neal is survived by her partner Michael C. Worthington, brother Forest Neal II, and three nephews; Forest Neal III, Michael Neal and William Neal.

State senate moves bill to protect access to contraceptives Kauaʻi Now N/A March 6, 2025 Original Article The Hawai‘i State Senate passed Senate Bill 350 , which proposes an amendment to the state’s Constitution that protects individuals’ rights to access contraceptives and make decisions about their reproductive health. The bill secures that no law or state action can interfere with the ability to obtain birth control, including methods like IUDs and emergency contraceptives. “The right to contraception is essential for the well-being of our communities, and is crucial for maintaining public health in Hawai‘i,” said Sen. Karl Rhoads, chair of the Judiciary Committee. “This constitutional amendment would reinforce that our state remains a leader in protecting reproductive rights and access to contraception.” Written testimony in strong support of the bill from the American Association of University Women of Hawai‘i noted the importance of this amendment in light of recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings. American Association of University Women of Hawai‘i pointed out that while the right to contraception was upheld in Griswold v. Connecticut (1965) and Eisenstadt v. Baird (1972), the decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) raises concerns that this right could be challenged. The testimony also emphasized support from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, who stated that access to contraception is a medical necessity that is vital for the health and economic security of individuals. SB 350 SD1 with the proposed constitutional amendment now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Hawaii manufacturers showcase innovation during tour for policymakers Hawaii News Now Annalisa Burgos November 12, 2025 Original Article HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - State lawmakers got an inside look today at how local grants are helping Hawaii manufacturers grow their businesses. The Chamber of Commerce Hawaii and Hawaii Technology Development Corporation hosted an “Innovation Crawl” to showcase how small businesses are thriving and navigating economic challenges, like tariff uncertainty and inflation. Pacific Allied Products’ factory in Kapolei boasts a machine that blows about 20,000 plastic beverage bottles every hour, while another fills them with water and labels them. With the help of a state grant, the 60-year-old plastics manufacturer bought new equipment to meet growing demand and reduce dependence on mainland suppliers. “One container of our raw materials that saves Hawaii from shipping in like 28 containers of bottled water,” said JB Helekahi, plant manager. Manufacturers say grants, incentives and tax breaks are needed to make them competitive -- especially when you’re in the middle of the Pacific and the state is on the brink of recession. “The logistics of the shipping coming in raw materials and just the cost of keeping the plant going is kind of our biggest challenges,” Helekahi said. Defense manufacturer North Star Scientific Corporation, also in Kapolei, says electric bills can reach $20,000 a month. “The cost of producing things over here, the real estate, electricity and things like that is a challenge,” said VP of technology John Roeder. The engineering firm designs and makes electronics and radar systems for the military, such as fighter jets and surveillance aircraft. “We have to be as efficient as possible. so in the manufacturing side, we try to automate things as much as possible just to reduce the amount of labor,” Roeder said. “We in Hawaii pay 2.5 times the national average for energy usage,” said state senator Glenn Wakai, who chairs the senate committee on energy and intergovernmental affairs. “The bad side about technology is it sucks a lot of energy. So somehow as a state when we talk about business and economic growth, we have to consider energy costs in the discussion about workforce development, land prices, all of the construction costs, all of that has to come into play with energy.” “We have the local talent we have the resources here and we want to keep them here and that’s that’s critically important to ensure that we don’t have business going away,” said Chamber of Commerce Hawaii president/CEO Sherry Menor. The HTDC offers three grant programs -- the Hawaii Small Business Innovation Research program (HSBIR), the Accelerator and Small Business Training programs, and the Manufacturing Assistance Program (MAP). Find a link to apply on htdc.org. “We really need to change away from a service economy to an innovation economy, so providing tax benefits, providing grants to help these guys get through and even more basic that doesn’t cost any money is reduce the regulations that hamper opportunities for growth for these types of industries,” Wakai added.

Sen. Angus McKelvey: California Fires Mean Bad News For Lahaina Honolulu Civil Beat Richard Wiens February 16, 2025 Original Article Editor’s note: Sen. Angus McKelvey, who chairs the Senate Government Operations Committee, is a key figure in recovery efforts following the August 2023 Maui fires. In an interview edited for length and clarity, he discusses the latest obstacles to rebuilding Lahaina and talks about the government reforms he is backing. You said last May you could imagine two futures for Lahaina: Either taken over by monied outside interests, kind of becoming the Kakaako of West Maui, or restored in a way that brings back many of its former local residents and at least some of the old businesses. Which direction do you think it’s going at this point? Right now, unfortunately, I think we’re headed in the direction of the monied interests. We’re still at that fork of the road, but what’s adding unbelievable pressure is what’s happened in California and now with the federal government. This has completely changed the entire tapestry of reality for the future of Lahaina. How so? You have the issue of interruption or potential loss of future federal monies. You have the fact that you’ve got tariff wars breaking out and counter-tariffs. Most of the construction material — because of the supply chain and other issues — before the Pacific Palisades fire was being bought from China in an effort to try to start rebuilding before the insurance money started lapsing. Now you’ve got the potential tariffs coming in against China, 10% plus the additional 25% from all aluminum and steel. You’ve got potentially a lot of workers who are from the immigrant community, who have now taken off. People who, I guess it was anticipated, would do a lot of the manual, blue-collar laboring. You’ve got all of these issues. And of course, you’ve got Pacific Palisades. After that fire happened, I was hearing about how Maui’s not going to get anything. The contractors are going to sell to LA because they don’t have to put it on a barge and wait, they can go ahead and these guys are paying cash. So we’re going to see a huge diversion, or interruption, of materials coming from the West Coast because of California. Now you’ve got tariffs popping in all over the place for other materials from other places, and meanwhile, the clock is running out on so many people because of their insurance policies requiring them to start substantially rebuilding already, or before this coming August. Time is totally on the side of the outside interests. Last year you were proposing establishing a community district to oversee both state and county restoration efforts. Are you still pushing for that? It was a bill was to create a community development association that would kind of transcend the county and the state. But given everything that’s been going on, especially now with the changes with the federal government, I didn’t reintroduce the bill this year. There are a lot of people in the community who, over the summer, were talking about it. They thought it was an idea that we should keep discussing, and I was contemplating putting together a community working group. But right now, with all of this raining down on everybody’s head, even though I do believe for the future of Lahaina this could be a very powerful tool for community control over this very precious place, it would create so much disruption to an already disruptive and chaotic environment and government system that it could literally push people over the edge. So at this point, this is a discussion best had when we start to get people back into homes, we start working with local partners who are trying to develop housing strictly tailored for Lahaina people. You also proposed that the state acquire all West Maui water districts. Are you still pushing for that? I did put it in again this year. Unfortunately, the bill was deferred in the Water and Land Committee after the hearing. I know that that’s something that the county of Maui has really been pushing. When I introduced the bill last time, there was no discussion going on anywhere about it. But in the meantime, even though the bill failed last year, the Maui County Council has picked it up and is continuing to discuss it on their end. You had also said that it was essential that the state establish concessionary lending programs for the underinsured and mortgage forbearance for fire victims. Where does that stand? None of it happened. I was very disappointed. It was basically the banks won. And this is where special interests do rear their heads, despite efforts to get the executive branch and others to see that this was a way to save people. Now many of the places that are being sold are due to the fact that people can’t continue to pay mortgages, and they’re underinsured, and they’re not going to be able to rebuild. And then, of course, when they do get an insurance check, it goes to the bank for the mortgage. And so you’re watching the situation where now it looks to the people like the best thing to do is to sell, put it on the market. We do have some bills this year to strengthen the community land trust program and establish it statewide. And I’m hoping that the Lahaina Community Land Trust can get some serious support, because they’ve been working on trying to be an alternative for people who feel like they have to sell but they don’t want to sell it to an offshore interest. I’m really bummed that we didn’t do any kind of public financing. And again, the banks don’t want to underwrite these customers. There was a hearing on a bill, and I said, “why do you guys oppose every type of public financing? You don’t want these customers anyway. You won’t give them loans, you won’t give them mortgages. But yet, when the state tries to offer something to them, you come in and kill it.” And this goes for the state, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. They have, consistently, with their regulated entities, been on the side of the industry, not the consumer. How about the tax surcharge on rental cars to help pay for the northern extension of the Lahaina bypass? That moved, and it’s moving on to the next committee. The bill also calls for diverting the Transient Accommodations Tax to building the bypass, because originally the resort areas were supposed to build the northern terminus of the bypass as the condition of the approval for their developments in Kāʻanapali, and they never did it. By using the TAT in addition to the rental surcharge, we can hopefully get them the money to get the project going, and then we can bond out the rest of it as we get moving. But this is a way to get this critically needed highway going. And I’ve got to tell you, the No. 1 legislative accomplishment of my whole career was working with (then-state Sen.) Roz Baker and Sen. Dan Inouye in getting the original bypass bill. I couldn’t imagine what that night of the fire would have been like had there been no bypass. Let’s move on to a couple of overall government reform measures. You’re the lead introducer of a bill to charge a 5% fee on independent expenditures by non-candidate committees. Where did that idea come from? It’s to help pay for public campaign financing. I absolutely loathe campaign fundraising, everything about it, and to have a public financing system where that is basically off your shoulders and you can run your race, and you know you have the resources to get your message out regardless of everything, is a good thing for democracy. More people run, and we get more talent. Getting talent on the bench has always been a struggle for neighbor island delegations. So having a public financing system, I believe, gives neighbor islanders the ability to run and to serve. The PAC (political action committee) fee is a way we can create more funding for it that we’re not taking from other things. A lot of times these PACs come in and do these independent expenditure committees against candidates who don’t have many resources to compete with anyway, and blow them out of the water. So why not create funding from their activity that these candidates can now use to get their message out? Use a fee on the PACs because the more activity they’re doing in a race, the higher fee they’re going to pay. And that, of course, will create a hopefully robust public financing system. Didn’t this bill get amended to where the proceeds of this PAC fee, if it were adopted, would actually go to the Campaign Spending Commission instead of straight to the public campaign funding? Yeah, I asked for that because they’re going to need to do structural things to effectuate the campaign financing thing far beyond money in the fund, and this way we can go ahead and structurally set up the public financing system. The candidates can report easily and qualify and get the money. We’re trying to give the commission additional resources so they can stand it up and have the flexibility to oversee it. I thought it was a good amendment. Another election measure that you signed on to would establish at least three additional voting centers on Oʻahu so we don’t end up with the long lines and delays that occurred last November. Do you think that’s going to happen? I hope so. It’s going to be an issue of money and staffing. But we can’t have long lines like this repeatedly. People should have the ability to come in and be able to vote at the last minute and not sit in long lines or get turned away or have this chaos. So I hope that we can find the revenue for these additional voting centers. You’re still sold mainly on mail balloting though? Oh yeah, it’s just so much easier and efficient. And, you know, people on Maui really took to it. And of course, most people over there basically vote by mail. But some things have to be discussed going forward because of all those ballots that were considered spoiled because the signatures did not match, and a lot of people said they were never given notification enough to go in and cure them. One issue with the mail-in is you’re signing your signature on the outside of an envelope. If I’m an identity thief, I’m having a field day with that. You were a co-sponsor of a proposal to ask voters to amend the constitution to create a 12-month Legislature . That’s been deferred for now, but the House speaker and Senate president have introduced bills to at least create a task force to study the idea of a year-round Legislature. Do you think that represents progress and that maybe something might happen there? I hope so. I mean, just look at what’s going on this year. You’ve got 30 members of the House who have two or less years’ experience. You’re asking them to literally step into a $4 billion budgetary picture. You’re expected to come in and do this all in the span of the 60 legislative days. Then on top of that, in order to promote more transparency, you’re trying to do 72-hour advance notice of hearings. This is why you’ve had weird stuff happen at the very end of the session, and you wouldn’t have this happening if you had a longer session. I like the idea that you spend the first five months of the session working on the budget bills. And then members can really sink their teeth into the policy stuff. Are you agreeable to the House speaker’s notion that you could still only have 60 days of floor sessions, but just spread them out over the year, with a lot more days for committee hearings and other business? I agree. I think we could do that. And if we had a longer legislative session, we could actually do committee hearings in the community, instead of just all in the square building. That’s one of the advantages of having more time is you could do more outreach types of things. You’re also the lead introducer of a bill to require the selection of heads of public agencies or divisions be done in in open meetings, through an open public process. What’s behind that? We need transparency because that’s a critical decision that’s going to determine the direction and fate and efficacy of these boards and commissions and that should be decided in public. I understand the concern of proprietary, confidential information, but the selection itself should be an open and transparently deliberate process. So that’s what I’m trying to achieve with the bill. It’s come up before and didn’t make it, and so I felt it was worth bringing back again, especially with these very powerful boards that exist and are growing statutorily every year.

Aloha, 2024! A recap of the top 10 Big Island news stories of the year West Hawaii Today John Burnett December 31, 2024 Original Article Tribune-Herald file photo From left, Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, Sen. Lorraine Inouye and Lynne Benioff take a photo together in April after the groundbreaking ceremony for the expansion of the newly named Hilo Benioff Medical Center. From left, Mayor Mitch Roth, Rep. Mark Nakashima, East Hawaii Regional Board Chair Jerry Gray, Gov. Josh Green, philanthropist Marc Benioff, Hilo Benioff Medical Center CEO Dan Brinkman and Sen. Lorraine Inouye pose for a photo with o'o sticks after the groundbreaking ceremony to kick off a major expansion of the hospital. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) Tribune-Herald file photo In this file photo, visitors walk through the Sea Mountain Resort in Punalu'u. As part of a proposed development, Black Sand Beach LLC wants to restore the resort and nearby golf course. A view of an encampment of homeless people in June near the corner of Ponahawai Street and Kamehameha Avenue in Hilo. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) In this Tribune-Herald file photo from June 7, grass and brush is overgrown around the house that was mistakenly built on the wrong lot in Hawaiian Paradise Park. A groundbreaking ceremony was held in September for a new affordable rental housing complex in Waikoloa Village. (Courtesy/image) Tribune-Herald file photo Grant Omura receives a bento from a volunteer as she hands them out of the Salvation Army Hilo Temple Corps' Malama 'Ohana Mobile Kitchen during an opening ceremony on Aug. 30 for the 25-cot shelter in Hilo. Former County Council member Emily Naeole speaks to a large crowd gathered outside the County Building on March 7 in Hilo. Hundreds of people, many who drove up from Ka'u, showed up for a meeting of the Windward Planning Commission regarding a permit for a proposed development in Punalu'u. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) Tribune-Herald file photo Kawelle Silva-Kamei holds a sign to protest the proposed development plan for the Punalu‘u area during a Windward Planning Commission Meeting on March 7 in Hilo. Tribune-Herald file photo Mayoral candidate Kimo Alameda answers a question during a forum hosted by the Big Island Press Club on Sept. 21 at the Hilo Yacht Club. In this July photo, a temporary camp for homeless people set up by Hawaii County off of Ponahawai Street in Hilo. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) Kimo Alameda sends his signature "double shaka" during a sign waving event with his Hawaii County mayoral campaign supporters in Hilo. (Tribune-Herald/file photo) With 2025 nearly here, it’s time to review an eventful 2024. Here are Hawaii Island’s the top 10 local stories of the year, as selected by the editorial staff of the Tribune-Herald. 1. Hilo hospital undergoes $100M expansion “It’s a new beginning for health care here on the island.” That observation was made April 10 by billionaire philanthropist Marc Benioff — chairman, CEO and co-founder of the software company Salesforce — during a groundbreaking ceremony for an expansion of Hilo Benioff Medical Center that will include a new 19-bed intensive care unit and 36 additional hospital beds. Benioff and his wife, Lynne, matched $50 million appropriated in 2023 by the state Legislature and released in March by Gov. Josh Green. The $100 million project is intended to help alleviate the bed shortage at Hawaii Island’s largest hospital, which was built in 1984 and where capacity has been outstripped by East Hawaii’s population growth the past four decades. In addition, a draft environmental assessment was released in November for a $60 million outpatient clinic to be built by HBMC on about nine acres of land in Keaau. The Benioffs pledged an additional $25 million for the Puna clinic, with Green pledging to work toward securing an additional $25 million from the Legislature for construction, expected to be completed by 2028. Planners anticipate the facility will serve more than 100 patients daily. 2. Affordable housing remains a hot topic According to County Council Chair Holeka Goro Inaba, the council will continue to overhaul Chapter 11 of the County Code, which addresses housing. A study presented in July of the effectiveness of Chapter 11 — which requires that rezoned housing projects include a certain amount of affordable units, and offers some ways to fulfill that requirement — found its provisions act contrary to their intended use, and it’s not feasible for affordable housing to be built in many of the island’s districts. Affordable housing projects are, however, moving forward. The 92-unit Hale Na Koa ‘O Hanakahi housing project is slated for completion in 2025, with affordable housing targeted toward Big Island seniors and priority given to veterans and their spouses. Once completed, all of the housing complex’s units will be available to residents making less than the Area Median Income. According to move-in qualifications posted online, 10 units will be available to those making 80% of the AMI, 31 to those making 60%, 38 to those making 50% and 12 to those making 30%. Ground was broken in September for Na Hale Makoa, an affordable workforce rental housing development in Waikoloa village. The project will feature 139 one-, two- and three-bedroom units serving households earning up to 140% of area median income, as well as one resident manager’s unit. Construction is expected to take a little over a year, and families are anticipated to begin moving into the units during the first quarter of 2026, according to the county. In addition, land has been acquired or donated with the goal of building affordable housing. Marc and Lynne Benioff in June donated 158 acres near Waimea to the nonprofit Hawaii Island Community Development Corporation for affordable housing at Ouli in Waimea. The land, adjacent to 282 acres the Benioffs donated in December 2023, brings the total land they’ve given for affordable housing to 440 acres. And the nonprofit Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement announced in June the acquisition of 43.08 acres of land in Hilo to be designated for affordable housing, specifically for Native Hawaiians and other Hawaii families. The parcel, located in the Kaumana subdivision of Ponahawai, was purchased for an undisclosed sum from an anonymous landowner. 3. Lava recovery continues in lower Puna Recovery from Kilauea Volcano’s 2018 Lower East Rift Zone eruption continues. Construction began in June on a 3.64-mile section of Highway 137 in lower Puna, between the makai end of Pohoiki Road and the intersection of Highway 132 — also known as “Four Corners.” The price tag to rehabilitate the previously inundated country road is $17.8 million. The lion’s share, $13.35 million, will be funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, while the county will kick in $4.45 million. The county remains embroiled in an eminent domain battle with Kapoho Land and Development Co. Ltd. over 0.94 acres of land the county said it needs to reopen Pohoiki Road. Hilo Circuit Judge Peter Kubota on Aug. 15 issued an order putting Hawaii County — which offered KLDC $24,000 — in possession of the land. KLDC, which is the only eminent domain holdout, is challenging the order, arguing the county has violated state laws in its condemnation process. And the state Department of Land and Natural Resources has awarded a contract to dredge part or all of a newly formed beach so Pohoiki Boat Ramp can be reopened. This past month, DLNR announced it had awarded a $9.2 million contract for the dredging project to Goodfellow Bros., with work expected to begin in February 2025 and wrap in November 2025. 4. Ongoing efforts to regulate STVRs The County Council in 2024 continued its yearslong struggle to regulate short-term vacation rentals with no long-term resolution in sight. Bill 121 — under discussion for the better part of a year and amended four times — was shelved in November. After lengthy discussions about five new proposed amendments to Bill 121, Hamakua Councilwoman Heather Kimball, who introduced the bill, asked her colleagues whether the council should continue to tweak the existing bill, or if it should be scrapped and replaced with a new bill that streamlines the now 30-page-long proposal. Another measure, Bill 123, passed the council and became law on its fifth draft. The bill changed the name of “ohana dwellings” to “accessory dwelling units” and increased the number of units allowed on a residential property to three, with one allowed to be used as a STVR. While the new ordinance increases density in residential neighborhoods, the Hawaii Supreme Court ruled unanimously in September that state law doesn’t allow STVRs on agriculturally zoned land. 5. Jaggar Museum, HVO site demolished It’s been six-plus years since earthquakes associated with the 2018 Kilauea eruption damaged both Hawaiian Volcano Observatory and the Thomas A. Jaggar Museum beyond repair. The historic museum, built in 1927, stood on Uekahuna bluff in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for nearly a century. It was razed along with two buildings used by HVO, the Okamura Building and geochemistry annex at Uekahuna, in May and June. The HVO Tower, the last building standing on the bluff, was demolished on July 26. The iconic tower, adjacent to the Jaggar Museum, provided scientists at HVO with a 360-degree vantage point for studying Kilauea and Mauna Loa until the 2018 eruption and summit collapse severely damaged all of the buildings at Uekahuna, on the edge of Kaluapele, Kilauea’s caldera. HVO’s scientists and technicians have been working in temporary digs in Hilo since. HVNP’s Visitor Center will be closed to the public in February for two years of renovations. Many functions once carried out at the Jaggar Museum will be performed at the HVNP Visitor Center, once it reopens. 6. Help for the island’s homeless The annual, federally mandated Point-In-Time count tallied 718 homeless individuals on the Big Island in 2024. That’s 28% fewer than the 1,003 counted in 2023. But the Point-In-Time is a mere snapshot of a day in the life of the unsheltered, and a casual tour of downtown Hilo and Kailua-Kona will confirm homelessness remains an issue. Two extreme incidents in downtown Hilo in January highlighted the problem. A 41-year-old homeless woman, Ashley Lum, gave birth on a sidewalk at the corner of Mamo and Keawe Streets and reportedly dragged the newborn by the umbilical cord. Fire Department medics cut the cord, sought medical attention for the baby, and transferred it to custody of Child Welfare Services. Lum, who has apparent mental health issues, was arrested for allegedly leaving the infant after the cord was severed, but was released without charges after being booked on suspicion of misdemeanor child abandonment. In the other case, a 34-year-old homeless man, Jimmy Carmichael, died at Mooheau Park Bus Terminal after being beaten. An autopsy turned up no serious skull or brain injuries as a result of the assault, but there was evidence of an “acute cardiac event” prior to his death, police said. Former Mayor Mitch Roth touted his administration’s efforts toward curbing homelessness, including $10 million in grants to organizations providing services to the homeless. The county also conducted sweeps of homeless camps, including in January at Mooheau Park and in February at Kona Aquatics Center. In addition, the county also set up at least two “Safe Spaces” homeless camps during the year — both dubbed “Mitchville” on social media. One was on Ponahawai Street next to the Salvation Army in downtown Hilo. After that camp was disbanded by the county, another was set up on Kuawa Street near the county’s Hoolulu Complex to house those who’d been at Ponahawai. It too has since been closed after most occupants found either homes or a longer-term shelter. And in August, the Salvation Army opened the Hilo Overnight Safe Space, a 25-bed outdoor tent at the Salvation Army’s Ponahawai facility. Homeless individuals seeking shelter are able to check into the Safe Space in the evenings and depart the next day. Through $1 million in state funding, and an additional $800,000 from the county, the facility should be able to operate for two years, said Sam LeMar, Salvation Army Hawaii County coordinator. He added he hopes to be able to expand the shelter into something potentially more permanent. LeMar said he believes the shelter could expand to accommodate 75 beds along with 10 parking stalls “so people can sleep in their cars safely.” 7. The county has a new top executive The Big Island has a new mayor. Kimo Alameda, the former CEO of Bay Clinic who was executive of the county’s Office of Aging under former mayors Harry Kim and the late Billy Kenoi, defeated incumbent Mitch Roth by almost 11% in November’s General Election. It was the first run for public office for Alameda, 55, who holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and also was the former leader of the Fentanyl Task Force. The 60-year-old Roth had the larger campaign war chest, by more than $100,000, and had spent upwards of $75,000 more than his challenger. Alameda, however, had the backing of the two major public workers unions — the white-collar Hawaii Government Employees Association and the blue-collar United Public Workers. They endorsed the challenger in part because Roth wouldn’t authorize COVID-19 hazard pay for public workers during the pandemic, citing fiscal concerns. 8. Punaluu project proposed, opposed A currently stalled proposal by a foreign-born developer to build a 225-acre resort development on a 147-acre parcel adjacent to Punaluu Black Sands Beach Park has raised hackles in the Ka‘u community. Neighboring residents to the proposed Punaluu Village project turned out en masse in March before the Windward Planning Commission to protest the plans of developer Xiaoyuan “Eva” Liu and Black Sand Beach LLC to develop the $350 million project. Three groups of Ka‘u residents have been granted standing in a contested case against an application for a special use permit for the project. In particular, opponents have argued the development of Punaluu Village will have significant negative impacts on the area’s public water, fire suppression and wastewater systems, which they say are in disrepair. A 2020 report about the condition of Punaluu’s water infrastructure noted several leaks and inoperable equipment — notably, six of the 17 fire hydrants in the area were found to not work. Some of the opposition to the project stems from fears it will impact fragile ecosystems and endanger wildlife, such as endangered hawksbill sea turtles. The nearby black sand beach is one of the last nesting sites for the turtles in the state, said Maxx Philips, Hawaii director for the Center for Biological Diversity. However, project consultant Daryn Arai said most of the areas planned to be developed for the project are located away from sensitive areas — and that much of the development would restore the shuttered facilities of the former Sea Mountain Resort that was built in the area in the 1960s and ’70s. 9. DHHL’s huge plan for Keaukaha More than 1,300 acres of land at King’s Landing in Hilo could be developed for Hawaiian homesteads under a state plan. In June, a draft environmental assessment was published for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands’ “King’s Landing Kuleana Homestead Settlement Plan” — a proposal to take several DHHL-owned parcels near Keaukaha totalling 1,334 acres and allow them to be developed as homestead land. Under the proposal, a large tract of land — stretching from south of Nene Street in Keaukaha to Leleiwi and south along the Kapoho Coast Road — could be used as “kuleana homesteads,” an alternative form of land use that would allow DHHL beneficiaries to live on parcels with minimal development. According to the draft assessment, the land is largely unoccupied, with 24 Native Hawaiian residents known to be living or working on land in the area in compliance with a DHHL right of entry agreement. Under the plan, about 400 acres of the land — largely around the Kapoho Coast Road — would be set aside for kuleana lots, with another 332 acres dedicated toward community agricultural use. Much of the coastal acreage and other scattered parcels would be free for community use, and the last 240 acres would be kept as conservation land. Settlement of the area would take place in a phased process, with the first phase involving up to 38 lots between 3.5 and 15 acres in size along either side of the Kapoho Coast Road. Phase 2 would include up to 35 lots between 1 and 3 acres in size mauka of Kapoho Coast Road. Phases 3 and 4 would establish the conservation, agricultural and community lands. Because kuleana leases require residence on the land, beneficiaries would be living largely off-grid and building their own homes. Homesteads would still be subject to all relevant county and state health and safety codes, although part of the kuleana model allows for some level of grant support for lessees building their homes. 10. House lot snafu in HPP In perhaps the year’s strangest Big Island story, a local contractor for an Oahu-based developer mistakenly built a house on a Hawaiian Paradise Park lot owned by a Northern California woman. Keaau Development Partnership contracted PJ’s Construction to build about a dozen houses on lots the developer owns in the Puna subdivision. PJ’s, however, erroneously built a three-bedroom house on a lot owned by Annaleine “Anne” Reynolds, who bought the one-acre lot in a 2018 tax auction for $22,000. The home was supposed to be built on an adjacent lot owned by KDP, but no survey was done prior to construction. KDP sued both Reynolds and PJ’s, seeking to recoup more than $307,000 it paid to PJ’s and its subcontractors, plus another $300,000 in lost profits, interest, attorneys’ fees and damages. Reynolds declined KDP’s settlement offer of the adjacent lot in a land swap, and KDP rejected her counter offer of a beachfront lot in return for her property. Now-retired Third Circuit Chief Judge Robert Kim granted Reynolds’ request for PJ’s to pay another contractor to demolish the house, and Kona Circuit Judge Kimberly Tsuchiya has selected a proposal by a Hilo contractor to do so. Both KDP and PJ’s are appealing the demolition order in the Intermediate Court of Appeals while Reynolds’ attorney has filed a motion stating the ICA doesn’t have jurisdiction since the demolition order isn’t a final judgment on the lawsuit. Email John Burnett at jburnett at hawaiitribune-herald.com.

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers At Work Year Round? That's Becoming A Real Possibility Honolulu Civil Beat Richard Wiens February 2, 2025 Original Article It was a typical scene at the Capitol: two Kauaʻi legislators getting together to discuss common interests and how they could support each other and the folks back home. The sort of thing that happens at the start of every session. But this was also a high-level meeting between longtime Senate President Ron Kouchi and brand-new House Speaker Nadine Nakamura, and the latter had a special request. “She innocently in her folder slid over a bill,” Kouchi recollected with a smile the next day. It was a proposal that could significantly change how the Legislature operates, and Nakamura wanted Kouchi to join the cause by introducing the same measure in the Senate. “I don’t know if you’d sign it,” Kouchi recalled her asking, “but I said, ‘For you Speaker, I’d be happy to sign it on our side and we’ll see what happens.’” And just like that, the often-proposed but seldom seriously considered concept of converting the Legislature to a year-round enterprise took on new life. “I’m glad you signed that bill,” Nakamura said to Kouchi as the top two legislative leaders headlined Civil Beat’s Civil Cafe at the Capitol on Jan. 22. Then she made her pitch. “All of the county councils in the state are year-round,” Nakamura said. “They have a fraction of the state’s budget and they meet year-round because the work of the counties — and here at the state — is year-round. Emergencies happen year-round.” “We currently have a 60-day session from the middle of January to the first week of May and we have these self-imposed deadlines that require us to not hear a lot of bills,” she said. “It requires us to write very complex bills in a very short period of time. We do not get the time to really work it as we would on the council side.” She noted that she and Kouchi are both former Kaua‘i County Council members. “I really appreciate that process and I think we should move toward that.” Why It Could Actually Happen Nakamura’s House Bill 1425 calls for the creation of a task force to study the logistics and ramifications of a 12-month Legislature. Don’t roll your eyes. This would not likely be one of those longstanding committees that eventually issues a report to be put up on a shelf and forgotten. In addition to the speaker’s sincere interest in the issue, the panel would be required to submit its findings to the Legislature at least 20 days before the start of the 2026 session. More importantly, something occurred just five days after the Civil Cafe that likely removes a big obstacle to a year-round session: State Salary Commission members revealed they were considering bumping up legislators’ pay by 40%. If that happened, there would be no further debate about whether the job is full-time. And If legislators are full-time, why should the session be so short? “It would be good to pay legislators more so we don’t have to have that second job,” Nakamura said at the Civil Cafe. Better pay and no outside employment would reduce conflicts of interest and could also lead to a more diverse group of legislative candidates, the speaker said. “We are excluding caregivers, women especially, who want to come out and do this type of work, from entering state legislative offices,” she said. Lawmaker salaries aside, there would certainly be other costs associated with the move to a 12-month Legislature, such as additional staff resources and travel. “I know it is a big change,” Nakamura said. “The study group would really take a look at what are the different issues, what are the costs.” The current 60 days for floor sessions might still be sufficient — they would simply be spread out over 12 months, she said. Meanwhile, bill-writing and committee hearings could proceed at a less frenzied pace. Nakamura’s bill gets its first hearing Wednesday at 2 p.m. before the Legislative Management Committee. In addition to her bill and Kouchi’s companion measure, Senate Bill 1514 , there are two other bills this session proposing the conversion to a 12-month Legislature. The companion measures would put the question directly to voters via a proposed constitutional amendment. One of them, Senate Bill 733 , was heard Friday by the Senate Judiciary Committee. It was deferred, meaning it probably won’t proceed this session. The other, House Bill 770 , does not yet have a committee hearing scheduled. The Legislature is also waiting on a more modest study of the 12-month option that’s being put together by the Legislative Reference Bureau as the result of a Joint House Resolution approved last session. The LRB was asked to study the pros and cons of a continuous legislative session, what the calendar might look, and the salary needs for full-time legislators and staff. What’s Really On The Table Here Legislative leaders conduct much of the people’s business behind closed doors and wield near-dictatorial powers in open committee meetings and especially during the private negotiations that dominate each session’s final days. They often point to the current tight deadlines (one sponsor of SB 733 has called it “four months of chaos”) to justify secrecy for the sake of expediency. Each election season, legislative candidates are asked in their Civil Beat Q&As if they would support applying the Sunshine Law to the Legislature to stop most of those secret meetings at the Capitol. Many say they would — if the sessions weren’t so darned short. Perhaps the time really has come to take more time. Legislators long ago exempted themselves from the open meeting laws that apply to other government bodies. But a year-round Legislature could not only better oversee the work of 20 state departments and agencies and a $20 billion budget, it could do so in the light of day. If the speaker of the House and the president of the Senate are open to operating more like the county councils on a 12-month schedule, shouldn’t they be willing to conduct their business out in the open just as the councils are required to do? Senate Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads said as much when he amended a year-round Legislature proposal two years ago to apply the Sunshine Law to state lawmakers. At the time, he noted that Hawaii had almost twice the population it had back in 1968 when the current legislative procedures were enshrined in Article III of the State Constitution . Getting legislators to abide by the Sunshine Law won’t be an easy sell. But if they convert to a 12-month session, they would have plenty of time to do the right thing and allow the public to observe their deliberations, not just their committee hearings. Some will say the Capitol just wouldn’t be the same without the old-fashioned horse-trading that goes on in private. Not the same, but perhaps better. What about the idea that what happens at party caucus meetings stays at party caucus meetings? Again, it wouldn’t be the same if their constituents were watching, but it might be better. Longer Sessions Already Possible Even now, legislative leaders aren’t quite as rushed as they often say they are. The State Constitution spells out when each session begins — the third Wednesday in January — but not when it ends. Those 60 days of floor sessions could already be spread out over a lot more of the calendar instead of ending in early May. And committee hearings could continue in the intervals. If they feel like they have unfinished business — and every session ends with that feeling — legislators can also extend a regular session for an additional 15 days or call themselves into special session for up to 30 days. Either of those options requires the approval of two-thirds of the House and Senate. Still, a cleaner way to convert to a 12-month session would be through voter approval of a constitutional amendment. That’s because the constitution’s current timing requirements for the governor to sign or veto bills is tied to when the Legislature adjourns its regular session. This session’s bills for a full-time Legislature, for instance, would give the governor 90 days to sign or veto measures, with no reference to the date of adjournment. It’s becoming plausible to imagine a future in which better-paid legislators hold no outside employment and are unconstricted by artificial deadlines. However it unfolds, a longer session holds promise for a more effective Legislature Change is coming. Newer lawmakers are raising more questions about the top-down nature of things at the Capitol. The recent hour-long discussion on the House floor of its rules of operation was refreshing evidence of the shift, because those rules traditionally are imposed with no dialogue at the start of each session (as they still are in the Senate). It’s becoming plausible to imagine a near-term future in which better-paid legislators hold no outside employment and are unconstricted by artificial deadlines. Their only jobs would be addressing the many challenges facing Hawaii, which should be full-time work indeed.

Additional Lahaina road development starts to shift into gear KITV Paul Drewes July 15, 2025 Original Article LAHAINA, Hawaii (Island News) -- The road to recovery for Lahaina includes more roads. The first private property has been acquired by Maui County for additional public roads, but this work to expand street connectors and road extensions in Lahaina could take a decade to finish. The demand for more roads in Lahaina is not just about reducing traffic, but about increasing evacuation routes in case fire sweeps through again - like it did in 2023. "It's is very important. The fire itself showed Lahaina is in desperate need of a modernization of evacuation routes and ways to get out," said Senator Angus McKelvey. Maui County is buying up property in Lahaina in order to extend or widen existing roads, and even install new streets. "The first one we've been working on from the Department of Public Works has been our Aki Street connector. And that parcel of land has been acquired from the property owner," said Jordan Molina, Maui County Dept. of Public Works Director. Last week, the Maui County Council also approved money for the Dickerson Street extension. Those are smaller projects, while the Kahua Street extension will stretch 2 miles and not only have 2 travel lanes but also turn lanes at major intersections. But with big projects come big timelines. "Generally, these things, these projects, take one to two years to get the design and permitting process. Then anywhere from three to five years to construct. So we're probably looking at these roads being in operation somewhere in four to seven years or so, depending on complications with permitting, environmental reviews, etc." said Molina. "We passed some bills this year that I hope will speed up the permitting process, especially if a special management area is needed - that these exemptions will kick in. I'm hopeful that we can follow up through both the county and state level with executive orders or other mechanisms to try to eliminate as much of the permitting as possible," added Mckelvey. More properties are expected to be acquired this year, but adding more roads comes at a high cost. "It'll be in the range of $30-80 million. Because that's inclusive of not just your roadway, but your underground utilities with water, sewer that may be needed. A lot of facilities come with a roadway that cause those costs to be high," stated Molina. Depending on what is found once they start digging, it could slow things down further. But many are excited these street developments will put Hawaii on the road to a safer future. "It's a way forward through the storm to provide a safer community for Lahaina. Hopefully, as you've seen in Waianae and other areas, that will spur efforts to look at this type of effort in other neighborhoods, and other areas where this fire risk is very present," said McKelvey.

Hawaiʻi Senate Ways and Means Committee details visit to Kauaʻi Kauai Now August 16, 2025 Original Article Members of the Hawai‘i Senate Ways and Means Committee — including Kaua‘i and Ni‘ihau lawmaker Senate President Ronald Kouchi — spent 2 days this week on the Garden Isle for a whirlwind tour for discussions and meetings with officials with various government agencies and community leaders. Senators during their visit Aug. 12-13 heard from and were updated about activities and work surrounding several issues, including: Development of Hawai‘i’s latest food and product innovations. Health care systems. Education and workforce development pathways. Biosecurity efforts. Language access. Their trip also visited various sites, receiving the latest information about critical projects and initiatives happening on the island. “Our site visits to Kaua‘i provided the committee with a deeper understanding of the innovations taking place across [the] state to address some of Hawai‘i’s most pressing challenges,” Ways and Means Committee Chairman O’ahu state Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz in a release detailing the visit. “From tackling homelessness by creating a continuum of housing to advancing education, workforce readiness and economic opportunity, we’ve seen firsthand how local partnerships are turning ideas into impact.” Initiatives such as the Food and Product Innovation Network demonstrate how investments in education and entrepreneurship can strengthen Hawai‘i’s economy and support homegrown industries. Cultural preservation efforts at Ke Kula Ni‘ihau O Kekaha Learning Center underscore at the same time the importance of protecting the voices and values that make island communities unique. “These insights will be critical as we continue to shape policies and allocate resources that build a more resilient and equitable future for all of Hawai‘i,” said Dela Cruz. Kouchi said it’s always meaningful when Hawai‘i Senate comes to Kaua‘i to see the incredible work local communities, educators and organizations are doing every day to tackle statewide challenges. “From efforts to increase affordable housing and address homelessness, to supporting workforce development and preserving ʻŌlelo Ni‘ihau, these initiatives reflect the deep commitment of our people to building a stronger Hawai‘i,” the Senate president said. “I’m grateful to the Senate Ways and Means Committee for taking the time to engage directly with the people and projects that are making a real difference on the ground.” The Senate Ways and Means Committee conducts neighbor island site visits every 2 years. It uses information members receive from community stakeholders and government officials to guide collective decision-making for legislation and budget appropriations that bolster regional and statewide planning and implementation efforts. The committee’s Kaua‘i visit highlighted the important work and progress by various state and public organizations, allowing members to see the real-life impacts of the policy decisions they craft and deliver to the public. “As the state moves forward and prepares for the upcoming legislative session, the committee will continue to look at ways to support the crucial efforts of these organizations toward economic diversification, protection of the land and natural resources and education of our keiki and future workforce,” says the committee’s post-trip report.

Trump’s order to cut federal funding sends shock waves in Hawaii Star Advertiser Dan Nakaso January 29, 2025 Original Article President Donald Trump’s orders to cut federal funding for a wide range of programs and nonprofit organizations has set off chaos and confusion in Hawaii and around the country. All of Trump’s orders to halt federal funding for multiple programs sent Hawaii officials scrambling Tuesday to pinpoint which programs and services may be at risk. Hawaii departments and agencies rely on 2,600 different federal “accounts,” acting Gov. Sylvia Luke told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. But state officials do not know whether the list of 2,600 federal accounts used by various state agencies — including the state departments of Health and Human Services and the University of Hawaii — was complete, including how many state workers’ salaries are funded by the federal government, Luke said. She asked anyone who hears about or experiences disruptions in programs to contact their state legislator so the state can get a better picture of the situation. Luke hopes state legislators provide more funding for critical programs that rely on federal funding to continue services across Hawaii. But of the state’s $17 billion budget, Luke said half comes from special and federal dollars. “We don’t have the funds to supplant all of the federal funds that can be lost,” she said. In a statement Tuesday, state Senate President Ron Kouchi (D, Kauai-Niihau), said, “These programs — spanning healthcare, education, infrastructure, housing, and more — are lifelines for our Hawai‘i residents as well as millions of Americans, and the temporary suspension of these funds will only exacerbate challenges that are already straining our communities.” House Speaker Nadine Nakamura (D, Hanalei-Princeville-Kapaa) issued a statement saying, “This freeze is deeply concerning as it could jeopardize critical services that Hawai‘i’s communities depend on, including education, healthcare, social services, wildfire recovery, and essential federally funded programs. Furthermore, it undermines the progress we have made in ensuring representation and support for our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.” The Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations said in a statement that Trump’s call for a “temporary” pause on all agency federal grants and loans “will have immediate and devastating impacts to nonprofits that receive federal funding and for our communities at large. The shock waves of this unprecedented action are reverberating throughout the country and our local communities. HANO joins in your concerns and your fears, and we believe this unilateral action taken by President Trump is unconstitutional.” Luke said that in her 10 years as House finance chair before being elected lieutenant governor in 2022, “We have never seen this type of directive out of the White House.” Even more concerning, she said, Trump’s actions are aimed, in particular, at critical issues for Hawaii, including addressing climate change, embracing diversity, culture and inclusion — and at specific communities such as immigrants like herself, various ethnicities, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. “They have an agenda,” she said of the Trump administration and his supporters. Luke hopes Trump’s threats to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency do not jeopardize future federal funding to rebuild Maui after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, which killed 102 people and all but wiped out Lahaina. And she also worries that Trump might target the Compact of Free Association, which gives residents from the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau access to the full range of federal benefits available to lawful U.S. residents, including food aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Aid for Needy Families. The agreements were made after U.S. nuclear weapons tests killed, maimed and caused health issues for the people of their islands. On Monday the U.S. Office of Management and Budget issued a directive to federal agencies to pause “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance” starting Tuesday to conduct a review of whether government spending “aligns with Trump’s agenda,” Schatz told his Senate colleagues Tuesday. The OMB later clarified that programs would be spared from review that provide direct benefits to people who receive Medicaid, SNAP or Social Security benefits. Gov. Josh Green said in a statement that Trump’s directives have “caused a great deal of chaos, confusion and uncertainty.” “The presidential order seeks to prevent the people of Hawaii from receiving crucial services funded by the millions of dollars they pay to the federal government each year,” Green said. “This cannot stand. My administration is currently assessing the impact of this pause on essential state programs and services, including education, health care, social services, and wildfire recovery.” The immediate aftermath of Trump’s flurry of directives will equally effect Republican and Democratic states, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda said separately Tuesday. Schatz rose on the floor of the U.S. Senate and said: “I also would like to select the federal funding, which I agree with and fund that, and select the funding that I disagree with and defund that. But I’m not a monarch and neither is Donald Trump. “We’re hearing from so many constituents across the country, and I had a bit of a time delay because it’s earlier in Hawaii, but all of my colleagues were getting incoming texts and calls and panicked people,” Schatz said. “This isn’t about some arcane government program. This is, like, basic stuff.” Schatz, Tokuda and others including the Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations called Trump’s “temporary” pause on all agency federal grants and loans unconstitutional, chaotic and creating confusion across the country, including in red states. Tokuda said Trump “decided in his head that he was just going to do it. And that’s resulted in an onslaught of executive orders. He was just going to put out his mandates, throw noodles to the wall and see what would stick, to see if Republicans in Congress would bow down to him, ultimately making this a government of one and removing the separation of powers that protects all Americans.” Just as the cuts were to take effect Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan ordered the Trump administration not to block funding to existing programs until Monday after nonprofit and public health organizations filed lawsuits. AliKhan has scheduled a hearing in Washington, D.C., for Monday. However the judge rules, it remains to be seen whether the losing side will appeal — or Trump will simply ignore a decision against his directives, claiming they are the result of executive orders, Luke said. “We really don’t know,” she said. “We won’t know if this will continue a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. But we have an obligation to be ready for the worst-case scenario.”

Democrats send 3 names to governor for Senate seat Star Advertiser Victoria Budiono October 18, 2025 Original Article The Democratic Party of Hawaii’s Oahu County Committee has selected three nominees for Gov. Josh Green’s consideration to fill the Senate District 19 seat left vacant by the retirement of state Sen. Henry Aquino (D, Pearl City-Waipahu-West Loch). The three nominees are: >> Steven P. Canales, retired from a utility company, former shop steward for a local union, Honolulu lifeguard at Pearl City Recreation, and a community organizer for the Democratic Party’s Region 5. Canales has emphasized his dedication to helping people in his community. >> Rachele F. Lamosao, current state Representative for House District 36, representing Waipahu. She has also served on the Waipahu Neighborhood Board and the Waipahu High School Academy of Natural Resources Advisory Board, highlighting her ongoing commitment to local leadership and community engagement. >> Dr. Inam U. Rahman, a Waipahu-based physician, small business owner, and former legislative assistant. Rahman has served as past president of the Hawaii Medical Association and founded a nonprofit clinic focused on diabetes care, dedicating over 30 years to community health, public service and volunteer medical missions. The three nominees were selected from among six applicants. Their names have been formally transmitted to Green, who will choose one to serve as the next Senator for Senate District 19. “First, I would like to thank Senator Henry Aquino for his service to Senate District 19. I would also like to thank the selection body, and Oahu County Chair, Lynn Robinson Onderko, for their hard work in this process. In addition, I want to express my appreciation to all of the candidates for participating in this process and their commitment to the SD 19 community,” Democratic Party of Hawaii Chair Derek Turbin said. “Lastly, we’re excited for the three nominees. All of them have a history of community service to SD 19, and would do a wonderful job serving their community.” “We thank every candidate who participated in this grassroots process,” Lynn Robinson-Onderko, Oahu County Chair, said. “These Democrats are passionate about their district and committed to having exceptional representation in the State Senate. I am confident that any one of the nominees will step into their position ready to work for their constituents in Senate District 19.” The selection meeting was conducted via Zoom Webinar and open to the public on Tuesday at 6 p.m. Nine members of the selection body participated, with two absent, and each was entitled to vote for up to three of the prospective candidates.

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.