Hawaii Business Magazine Newsletters

State Department of Transportation says budget cuts could cripple state airports.

Views expressed in this Hawaii State News summary are those of the reporters and correspondents.

Accessed on 31 May 2022, 2040 UTC.

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5.31.2022

TOP STORIES

Transportation department: Budget cuts could ‘cripple’ state airports
Hawai‘i lawmakers have proposed cutting three high-ranking airport employees in a move that transportation officials have said could “cripple and obstruct” state-run airports. Civil Beat.

Gov. Ige faces decision on bill to limit emergency authority of future governors
Lawmakers this session approved a bill that would allow them to end future governor’s emergency powers after 60 days. Termination will require a two-thirds vote of the Legislature. Hawaii News Now.

Hawai‘i Democratic summit ends with new leader
Delegates representing the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i elected Honolulu attorney Dennis Jung to be the political organization’s new leader. Jung previously worked as a deputy public defender for the state of Hawai‘i and has practiced criminal law, immigration law and personal injury litigation. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Maui Now.

Lawmakers spent big this year to help Hawai‘i families ‘pushed over the edge’
A historic budget surplus, strong coordination by advocacy groups and the undeniable fact that many of Hawai‘i’s families are struggling — both financially and mentally — helped drive big investments in early childhood initiatives this year. Civil Beat.

Courtesy of: Jerry Boster, Hawai‘i Parkinson Association

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE
The All-Volunteer Hawai‘i Parkinson Association Supports Patients and Caregivers
The Hawai‘i Parkinson Association, established in 1996, is a nonprofit composed of people diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, caregivers, family members, health care professionals, educators and business leaders. The group is run by volunteers and doesn’t have paid employees. Nonetheless, it interacts with about 2,500 people through phone calls, teleconferences, emails, support and exercise groups… read more.

OʻAHU

Audit of Honolulu Police Department reveals $38 million in overtime
The audit, released Friday, found that the department uses handwritten time cards to track overtime hours, resulting in nearly $30,000 in unsubstantiated payments and up to $6 million in increased city pension costs over the past five years. The top 10 unnamed earners scooped more than $4 million for 76,726 hours of overtime pay over five years, city Auditor Arushi Kumar found. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Hawaii News Now.

Police patrol: Riding with HPD in Downtown Honolulu underscores staffing needs
The Honolulu Police Department has about 350 officer vacancies as the department prepares to onboard a new chief. Civil Beat.

Report: Navy’s O‘ahu fuel tanks need repair before draining
A contractor hired by the Navy is recommending a series of structural repairs to the Red Hill fuel tank to make sure the facility doesn’t leak petroleum when its tanks are drained, a report released Friday said. Corroded piping, damaged coating, damaged and reconfigured pipe supports and missing bracing are some of the things that need to be addressed. Maui News. Hawaii Public Radio.

Ford Island Control Tower opens to the public
The Ford Island Control Tower is open to the public at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum. The Top of the Tower tour offers a look at the Operations Building, the Firehouse Exhibit, and it includes an elevator ride to the control tower. KHON2.

Nonprofit releases survey in last-ditch effort to save Haiku Stairs on O‘ahu
A survey from nonprofit organization Friends of Haiku Stairs revealed that 51% of respondents were in favor of keeping the illegal stairs, while 26% wanted to see them removed immediately. Star-Advertiser.

Photo: Getty Images; Photo Illustration: Kelsey Ige

HAWAII BUSINESS MAGAZINE

A Record Number of Hawai‘i Workers Quit Their Jobs in 2021

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest data shows that 222,000 local employees had voluntarily resigned. In September alone, about 38,000 people quit – 6.6% of the local workforce and the highest rate for that month in the nation. Here’s what local experts say is driving the exodus and why efforts to keep employees should start the day they’re hired… read more.

HAWAIʻI ISLAND

Resolution seeks to shift tax breaks to homeowners, affordable rentals
The plan lowers real property tax rates for homeowners and affordable rentals by 50 cents, agriculture and native forests by 30 cents and commercial, industrial and residential tier 2 by 5 cents. West Hawaii Today.

A voice for Native Hawaiians: Charter amendment would offer a seat at the table on water policy
Bill 180 would require the addition of a Department of Hawaiian Home Lands representative to the county Water Board, training in Native Hawaiian law for board members and administrative staff and annual reports from the Department of Water Supply to the council. West Hawaii Today.

Judge will consider whether to unseal DNA evidence in Dana Ireland murder
A group seeking to overturn convictions in the Dana Ireland murder trial filed a motion Thursday seeking to unseal post-conviction DNA testing conducted on a piece of key evidence in that case. Tribune-Herald.

SPONSORED BY UHA HEALTH INSURANCE
Belong: Where Every Employee Matters
“Belong: Where Every Employee Matters,” presented by UHA Health Insurance in partnership with Hawaii Business Magazine and Hawaii Employers Council, featured local mentor/mentee pairs who shared their experiences in cultivating safe relationships to encourage inclusion, connection, and equity in the workplace... read more.

MAUI COUNTY

Community Needs Survey launched to better understand causes of poverty in Maui County
Maui Economic Opportunity has begun circulating a survey on the causes of poverty in Maui County to be used in the development of a Community Needs Assessment and Action Plan that the nonprofit generates every three years. Maui Now.

Online marketplace adds more farms, ranches
Project Mahi‘ai, which launched last year, wins grants to offer goods, produce boxes. With an initial enrollment of eight farmers and ranchers last year, the Amazon-style distribution system was created to connect mostly Native Hawaiian cultivators who want to provide fresh produce, meats, eggs and dairy products to the community. Maui News.

KAUAʻI

Interests clash over proposed HPM manufacturing facility in Koloa
A proposed South Shore manufacturing facility has emerged as the latest battleground in the ongoing debate over the island’s approach to development. Hawai‘i Planing Mill Building Supply is seeking several permits to accommodate the plant — which would manufacture wooden trusses and wall panels for housing construction — on land currently zoned for agriculture. Garden Island.

Ha‘ena, Black Pot still closed to camping
Kaua‘i County officials have suspended permitted camping at Ha‘ena Beach Park and Black Pot Beach Park indefinitely. The two North Shore sites were removed from the county’s online map of camping locations to eliminate confusion for potential campers because the county hasn’t determined a reopening date. Garden Island.

MAY 2022 ISSUE