Hawaii Government News Archives

“It saddens my heart to have to turn away visitors”

A group of native Hawaiians occupied the grounds of the old Hawaiian monarchy's royal residence Wednesday, vowing to stay and do the business of the kingdom's government. via CNN

“Families that depend on TANF for survival will now have to look elsewhere for their needs.”

Hawaii's new state budget gives money for university and public school improvements while falling short of administration requests for welfare and public charter schools. via The Associated Press

The State has asked the nation's highest court to overturn a Hawaii Supreme Court decision which held that the State cannot sell ceded lands. via KHNL-TV Honolulu

A Hawaii Senate committee has voted against renomination of Kitty Lagareta to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents. via KITV

“Because it was a grim possibility, it takes us all by surprise”

Aloha Airlines shut down its cargo division Monday because its primary lender decided not to provide further financing.

Aloha carries 85 percent of the state's interisland air cargo, including all mail to and from Maui and the Big Island.

Airline attorneys say GMAC Commercial Finance's decision to stop financing Monday came after two companies interested in buying the cargo division pulled out.

One of the two companies, Jupiter Holdings Group, said it bowed out when Aloha and GMAC increased the asking price to $15 million. Jupiter had been the highest bidder with an offer of $13.65 million. Read more

“That's when you'll really start to see some tremendous penetration of renewable (fuels) and the kind of infrastructure needed to support renewable (fuels) in the island.”

Gov. Linda Lingle tried to reduce Hawaii's fear about the economy Friday, saying the media is over-reporting bad news. via KITV

Gov. Linda Lingle says the closures of Molokai Ranch and Aloha Airlines do not reflect underlying problems with Hawaii's economy. via The Associated Press

“We have wind, solar, geothermal. Sustainability can be done here.”

COURTESY PHOTO Bill Wiecking, assistant chairman of the 2008 Hawaii Preparatory Academy Student Congress on Sustainability, discusses the advantages of the school's new WeatherHawk weather station -- the first ... via Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Filed under: HI State Politics - Doug @ 6:30 pm [With a hat tip and an apology to Frank Shepard Fairey for the title inspiration.] Wow, if only the Democratic Party of Hawaii had such entertaining internal ... via Poinography!

Hawaii residents will likely get a tiny $1 tax rebate next year. Don't spend it all in one place. via TheHawaiiChannel

Democrat Daniel Inouye says it may be too late for the Republican governor's plan to get federal help. via KPUA-AM Hilo

A measure that would have required licenses for people counseling those with genetic disorders in their families is being vetoed by Lt. via The Honolulu Advertiser

“Giving $1 to our residents is like going to a restaurant and showing your disdain for the lack of service and leaving a penny as a tip”

Hawai'i residents will likely get a $1 tax rebate next year. Senators yesterday voted to give final approval to the refund, which is required by the Hawai'i Constitution when the state has two straight years of ... via The Honolulu Advertiser

“It's a very positive development because it indicates that finally there is an openness to at least evaluating alternative locations to Makua”

The Army cited strategic advantages Tuesday in deciding to keep a Stryker brigade based at Schofield Barracks on Oahu and to train the unit at Pohakuloa Training Area on the Big Island. via Houston Chronicle

“It's wonderful to look into what is for Hawaiians the traditional home of Pele and be able to see this glow and this plume rising”

Visitors to Kilauea's summit have a rare chance to see a red, orange and yellow glow emanate from a vent at Halemaumau Crater, traditionally considered to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess.

Kilauea on the Big Island has been erupting continuously since 1983 and frequently offers views of lava oozing to the surface and flowing into the sea. But it's rare for an incandescent glow to be seen at Halemaumau Crater, said Mardie Lane, a spokeswoman for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Read more

“It will make a potential entrepreneur or small business owner think twice about doing business in Hawaii”

Labor unions would automatically form with full negotiating rights whenever a majority of workers at a small business in Hawaii decide to organize, according to a bill pending at the Capitol. via Honolulu Star-Bulletin

“The danger that this closure brings to our state's economy, and the precarious financial situation faced by virtually all of our nation's airlines, I am frustrated by the lack of apparent solutions”

As Aloha Airline employees face uncertain futures, members of the Hawaii congressional delegation testify in Washington. via KHNL-TV Honolulu

“It's the only road project that I know of in the United States”

It may be a sign of the times that a state is so open about giving a single business a pass on an impact review. via Governing

“I've tattooed in a lot of places in this country, and I've never seen people come together so quickly as they did here.”

Hawaii tattoo artists claimed victory Monday for safe and professional marking of the human body.

After hearing their protests, state senators decided to kill a measure passed by the House that would have deregulated the tattoo industry, allowing anyone to make tattoos, even without training.

Tattoo businesses said they were worried that hepatitis and other diseases could be spread by artists who use unsanitary practices.

'I was dumbstruck when I heard about this. Unprofessional tattoo artists could come into Hawaii and put everyone at risk,' said Florence Batlle, owner of Queen of Pain tattoo parlor in Waikiki, who has a Polynesian tattoo of a dragon on her arm. 'It's really scary.' Read more

“The taro farmers are not going to be satisfied with this”

Lawmakers have approved a five-year moratorium on genetically modifying Hawaiian taro in the state, a compromise between researchers and farmers who consider taro a sacred plant. via The Post-Standard

“This lawsuit retreads old ground”

A federal lawsuit announced Friday attempts once again to shut down Native Hawaiian programs on the grounds that they're racially discriminatory.

The action is the latest in a long series of challenges to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA), which argues the state has a responsibility written into the law to improve conditions for Native Hawaiians.

The suit seeks to have $450 million in land and other assets controlled by OHA distributed to other state agencies, and it demands that the office be dismantled. Read more

Sacramento Business Journal - by Chad Blair Pacific Business News The governors of California and Hawaii on Friday urged the federal government to reject new rules for cruise ship port calls that they said will ... via Sacramento Business Journal

The moratorium falls short of the demands of some taro farmers who believe genetic modification is unnecessary to prevent disease. via KPUA-AM Hilo

“We are telling people how it is important to register to vote and here we are turning our backs on employees who would have their right to a secret ballot taken away”

By Richard Borreca rborreca@starbulletin.com A bill that would make it easier for labor unions to organize workers has cleared the state Legislature. via Honolulu Star-Bulletin