38000 to lose Medicaid coverage

Legislation actions and updates
The Senate Education Committee approved putting $25 million toward boosting the pay of teachers in hard-to-staff positions and adjusting the salary schedule to reward experience. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Tribune-Herald.
Bill allowing farmers to grow hemp receives preliminary approval from agriculture committee. KITV4.
Lawmakers propose to outlaw shipping of vaping products. KHON2.
Lawmakers propose stricter gun laws to keep firearms out of criminals’ hands. KITV4.

Streamlining plan will require 38,000 Neighbor Island patients to find new health insurance
HMSA and United Healthcare won the Neighbor Island contracts. Kaiser and AlohaCare were left out and AlohaCare has since filed a protest that has frozen the award. Hawaii News Now.

Final remains from Diamond Head incident identified as Jerry Hanel
The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s Office on Wednesday released the identity of the final set of remains that resulted of the incident last month in the Diamond Head area. The set of remains is that of Jerry J. Hanel, 69. Civil Beat. Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Hawaiʻi Public Radio.

Trump’s revamp of major environmental law “a big disaster for Hawaiʻi”
The Trump administration is in the process of weakening the National Environmental Policy Act, a law that activists, scholars and government officials liken to the Magna Carta of environmental regulation. The proposed changes to what is one of the country’s most influential environmental laws could mean less public scrutiny and oversight of big projects. Civil Beat.

Lawsuit: Feds failing to protect Hawaiʻi waters from plastics
The Center for Biological Diversity, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii and Surfrider Foundation sued the Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday for not doing enough to ensure 17 bodies of water around Hawaiʻi are protected from widespread plastic pollution. The lawsuit against the Trump administration says the plastics cover beaches, harm coral reefs and threaten wildlife. Civil Beat. Garden Island. Maui Now.

Ige administration seeking approval for over $1M worth of settlements
A wrongful death on a state highway, a near-drowning during a public summer school class and other legal settlements are expected to cost taxpayers $1.1 million or more this year. The settlements are part of the annual “Claims Against the State” bill, which lawmakers took up for the first time this session on Tuesday. Civil Beat.

North Shore community fights for a louder voice in planning of future projects
Eight newly installed wind turbines of the Na Pua Makani wind farm are now up in Kahuku. Area-elected officials told Kahuku residents at a community meeting Wednesday night that there are new bills to greatly increase that distance for future wind turbines. Hawaii News Now.

Fight over green building code highlights challenge of phasing out carbon
A proposal before the Honolulu City Council aims to reduce the long-term carbon footprint of Oʻahu’s buildings, but it has run into opposition from the island’s gas utility and construction industry. Hawaiʻi Public Radio.