Hawaii governor forms team to address disasters and climate change
Just before announcing the Climate Advisory Team, Green signed a bill appropriating $385.4 million in emergency funding for Maui wildfire recovery and response costs. Read more
Just before announcing the Climate Advisory Team, Green signed a bill appropriating $385.4 million in emergency funding for Maui wildfire recovery and response costs. Read more
House Bill 40 is still subject to approval by a majority of House and Senate members at a scheduled vote Wednesday. Read more
State lawmakers this year dialed back financial grants awarded to private projects and programs with public purposes but kept the level of giving on par with other recent years. Read more
The measure, House Bill 2404, would double the standard deduction for the 2024 tax year and then keep raising it every two years through 2030. Read more
The deferral came Thursday after strongly favorable votes in the Senate and House on differing drafts of the bill in March and earlier this month. Read more
State House and Senate leaders have determined that close to $1 billion should be appropriated by the state for Maui wildfire response and recovery work through mid-2025. Read more
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Hawaii House and Senate leaders resolved their differences over spending priorities Tuesday evening, settling on a conference committee draft of the state budget bill that appropriates $19.2 billion for operations during the fiscal year beginning July 1. Read more
Maui County Mayor Richard Bissen is making an overtime plea to state lawmakers for more Lahaina wildfire recovery funding. Read more
A state loan program helping Hawaii households acquire rooftop solar and energy storage systems that lower their electric bills is being pumped up for a second year in a row. Read more
The new version of the bill hasn’t had the constitutionally required three readings each in the Senate and House of Representatives on a similar subject matter. Read more
A state and county objective to produce temporary new homes for Maui wildfire survivors is being hampered by the federal government. Read more
Hawaii’s two regulated electrical utilities told a pair of state Senate committees Thursday that they are trying to do as much as possible as fast as possible with wildfire risk mitigation. Read more
Hawaiian Electric fully restored power to customers in East Honolulu on Monday, but not before four public schools had been closed for the day and many customers faced water supply issues. Read more
Consumers don’t know whether many macadamia nut snacks identified with Hawaii contain any Hawaii-grown macadamia nuts, and an effort to change that through state law may be doomed this year. Read more
State lawmakers are considering a bill to promote and support surfing as an interscholastic sport, but only with minuscule funding after the same bill was deemed unnecessary last year. Read more
The state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands appears set to receive extra time to use $600 million appropriated by the Legislature in 2022. Read more
The state Legislature appears poised to create a new way for Hawaii electric utilities to pay for wildfire risk mitigation that reduces the cost possibly passed onto ratepayers in an effort to help prevent another tragic fire in the state. Read more
Hawaiian Electric contends that it faces an “extremely tight” supply of power at peak use periods, especially when production from wind, solar and hydroelectric facilities is lower than normal. Read more
Three state House committees have eviscerated a bill to increase single-family housing densities statewide after receiving much more negative than positive testimony. Read more
Between 350 and 450 Maui wildfire survivors in early May should begin moving into a former hotel in Kihei now owned by the state. Read more
A state agency that helps finance affordable-housing development in Hawaii faces having its funding award criteria dictated by the Legislature to favor state and county projects. Read more