Officials urge action on speeding problem Star Advertiser Victoria Budiono February 3, 2025 Original Article State lawmakers are pushing for stricter penalties on speeding, which has contributed to nearly half of all highway deaths and accounted for 236 fatalities over the past five years, according to the state Department of Transportation. In 2023 alone, speeding played a role in about 60% of fatal traffic crashes. During a town hall meeting Tuesday at Prince David Kawananakoa Middle School, residents of District 27 — Pacific Heights, Nuuanu and Liliha — voiced concerns about speeding on Pali Highway and in residential areas. State Rep. Jenna Takenouchi, who represents the district, invited the Honolulu Police Department to weigh in. HPD officials noted that while the department frequently receives complaints about speeding in the area, about 95% of drivers caught speeding are residents of the neighborhood. Honolulu police officials said residents who want stricter enforcement of speeding laws must be prepared for the consequences. They noted that while many call for more action, some later complain when they receive citations themselves. Officers emphasized that speeding is speeding, no matter how little a driver exceeds the limit. Takenouchi expressed strong support for legislation this year aimed at imposing stricter penalties for speeding, which threatens public safety and contributes to excessive noise for residents. House Bill 54, along with its companion Senate Bill 97, seeks to increase penalties for excessive speeding, elevating the charge to a Class C felony for a third or subsequent offense. The bills also give the court authority to order the forfeiture of the vehicle involved in the offense as part of the sentencing. SB 97 was introduced by state Sen. Brandon Elefante (D, Aiea-Pacific Palisades-Pearl City), who also chairs the Senate Public Safety Committee. Elefante said he “constantly receives calls on excessive speeding” and has urged law enforcement to take action by citing and arresting those who violate speed limits. He said that while law enforcement has been active in addressing the issue, speeding in his district persists, particularly from Friday to Sunday, between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m. The bill proposes that drivers exceeding the speed limit by 30 mph or more, or driving over 80 mph regardless of the limit, would face fines, license suspension, driver retraining and surcharges. For a first offense, penalties include a fine between $500 and $1,000, a 30-day license suspension and either community service or up to five days of imprisonment. Subsequent offenses within five years would result in higher fines, longer suspensions and more community service or imprisonment. Three-time offenders within five years could face a Class C felony, license revocation and vehicle forfeiture. Under current law, excessive speeding is classified as a misdemeanor if a driver exceeds the speed limit by 30 mph or more, often considered a petty misdemeanor. Most speeding violations, however, are treated as civil infractions and do not carry misdemeanor charges. “This is constant. This goes on almost every weekend,” Elefante said. “We have constituents who call 911, we have HPD that goes out and conducts their investigation and enforcement. It’s speeding, it’s noise but it’s also a danger to the community and those who need to use our roadways to get to their destination safely.” Elefante shared that over the last weekend in January, HPD informed his office of two arrests for racing on the freeways of Pearl City and Aiea. Furthermore, between Jan. 14 and 17, additional enforcement actions led to more arrests and citations related to racing and excessive speeding. “There were four arrests, two for excessive speaking and reckless driving without a license,” he said. “Four citations and two reckless driving without a license, excessive speeding.” HPD reported a slight increase in speeding violations over the past two years, with 25,700 offenses recorded in 2023 and 27,252 in 2024. As of Jan. 29, HPD has already documented 1,503 violations for the year. Standard speeding continues to be the most common offense, with 21,172 citations issued in 2023, rising slightly to 21,251 in 2024. Excessive speeding saw a significant increase, with more than 5,000 citations given out in 2024, while reckless-driving violations rose to 602. Racing offenses decreased to 247 in 2024 from 341 in 2023. The year-to-date statistics as of Jan. 29 showed that HPD issued over 180 citations for reckless driving and eight for racing, excessive-speeding citations are close to 200 and standard speeding violations already surpassed 1,000. The city Department of Transportation Services receives about 2,000 complaints annually from across Oahu, with roughly half related to speeding concerns, officials said. As a first step, the city asks HPD to increase speed enforcement in problem areas. If that does not resolve the issue, speed trailers — portable radar devices that display drivers’ speeds — are temporarily deployed as a short-term deterrent, though they can remain in place for only a few weeks. For persistent speeding problems, midterm solutions are implemented, including road striping to create additional shoulder or parking lanes, which visually narrow the roadway to encourage slower driving. Additional signage and solar-powered flashing pedestrian beacons near schools also may be installed to improve safety. Long-term measures require funding and construction, such as installing speed humps, median and curb modifications and roundabouts, which are larger infrastructure projects that often involve contractors and take more time to complete. State Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said the state has installed 258 speed humps, which he credits with reducing overall crashes by one-third and major crashes by two-thirds. Since 2019, Sniffen said, a location that previously saw 25 fatalities now has only one following the installation of a speed hump. Sniffen said about 100 people die on Hawaii’s freeways annually, with speeding as a leading factor and excessive speeding accounting for 30% of those fatalities. Both city and state officials are exploring ways to address the speeding problem in Hawaii. However, they urge residents and community members to take action by adhering to posted speed limit signs, as outlined in each county’s ordinance.

Students honored for voter registrations The Garden Island Dennis Fujimoto August 14, 2025 Original Article LIHUE — Six high school students and a Department of Education Complex Area resource teacher were honored for their efforts that increased the list of registered voters by more than 300 voters. Indivisible Kauai, a group dedicated to fighting for democracy, joined Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and Senate President Ron Kouchi in congratulating and recognizing the students from Island School, Kspaa, and Waimea high schools, as well as resource teacher Darlene Muraoka from the Complex Area office. “These students have shown that civic engagement starts early,” Kawakami said. “They’ve set an example for the whole community.” Waimea High School, with support from social studies teacher Lisa Davalos-Wade, registered 135 voters through the efforts of Bystin Nagamine, Stanley Kimmel, and Naia Lewis. Khloe Graves, who is on track to be a middle blocker for the Kapaa High School girls volleyball team, worked with Muraoka to register 106 voters, the most of the student registrars. Island School, with the support of High School and College Counselor Renate McMullen, saw the team effort of sisters Violet and Ruby Swartz register 77 students during a May 5 drive. Muraoka said voters can register when they are 16 years old. They cannot vote until they turn 18. Muraoka, a key organizer for the recent Back to School Bash, where 2,500 backpacks of school supplies were distributed, was assigned to the initiative to select student leaders, arrange training, and ensure campus rules were followed during the voter registration drives. Indivisible Kauai member Mary Lu Kelley said, “Building on this success, additional student-led registration drives are planned for the Fall 2025 and the Spring 2026. We hope to get participation from the Hawaii Technology Academy and Kauai High School, joining the current roster of Waimea, Kapaa, and Island School.” The voter registration initiative started in the summer of 2024 when Kauai voter registrar Bevin Parker-Evans and Kelley met with then-DOE Complex Area Superintendent Daniel Hamada to discuss increasing civic engagement in high schools. The Kauai Indivisible ladies proposed student-led voter registration events supported by training and materials from “The Civics Center,” a national nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth participation in democracy.

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.

REMINDER: Community invited to wildfire preparedness and mitigation town hall Kauai Now October 15, 2025 Original Article Kauaʻi’s delegation of state lawmakers and other Hawaiʻi and local officials are hosting a Wildfire Preparedness and Mitigation Town Hall from 5:30 to 7 p.m. today. The town hall will be conducted at Kauaʻi Philippine Cultural Center AND FEATURE: Hawaiʻi Senate President Ronald Kouchi. Hawaiʻi Speaker of the House Nadine Nakamura. Hawaiʻi House Majority Leader Dee Morikawa. Hawaiʻi House Committee on Housing Chairman Luke Evslin. Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization Co-Executive Director Elizabeth Pickett. Hawaiʻi State Fire Marshal Dorothy Booth. Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency Administrator Elton Ushio. Kauaʻi Fire Department Chief Michael Gibson. Garden Island residents are invited to join the discussion, during which OFFICIALS WILL TALK ABOUT: New state legislation and funding. Insights from the deadly 2023 wildfire in Lahaina, Maui, and the July 2024 Kaumakani wildfire that burned more than 1.5 square miles of land on Kauaʻi. Steps residents and landowners can take together to strengthen Kauaʻi’s resilience. The evening will feature a presentation followed by a question-and-answer session with the expert panel. Kauaʻi Philippine Cultural Center is located at 4475-F Nūhou St. in Līhuʻe. The town hall is in partnership with Hawaiʻi Wildfire Management Organization, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Kauaʻi Emergency Management Agency and Kauaʻi Fire Department.

Lawmakers Worry Hawaiʻi’s Emissions Goals Could Leave Some In The Dust Civil Beat Marcel Honoré June 26, 2025 Original Article State officials have a new roadmap to decarbonize the cars, planes and ships that form Hawaiʻi’s transportation sector, they told legislators on Wednesday – almost exactly one year after they signed a landmark settlement with youth climate activists to ramp up those efforts. That plan, Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen said, will be released Friday. It largely involves converting those vehicles to cleaner fuels , plus adding more pedestrian paths , bike lanes and public transit options, to help the state hit its goal of phasing out carbon emissions by 2045. It comes after a group of 13 local youths, including many Native Hawaiians, sued Sniffen’s department in 2022, saying transportation remained the state’s largest emissions polluter, was on the wrong track and threatened their traditional ways of life and rights to a clean environment. 📷Vehicles head east bound on H1 Lunalilo Freeway before the Punahou offramp. Vehicles clog the H1 Freeway near the Punahou offramp. The state’s Department of Transportation is ramping up efforts to decarbonize vehicles across Hawaiʻi, but lawmakers want to balance those efforts with local affordability. (Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022) The parties settled last year, however, and agreed to work together on the state’s ambitious goals. Isaac Moriwake, an EarthJustice attorney who represented the youth in the lawsuit, Navahine v. Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation , helped Sniffen deliver the briefing on Wednesday. Lawmakers lauded their joint efforts under the first-of-its-kind climate settlement, but they also expressed concerns over cost increases to fuel and everyday goods that local residents would face as a result. “I’m all for the decarbonization of Hawaii, but this has always been my main issue,” Nānākuli Rep. Darius Kila said, “You (are) asking folks to move toward a green infrastructure who don’t have green, right? Not everybody can afford an electric vehicle.” “It’s this constant moving forward,” Kila added. “You forget that there are people who are still trying to catch up.” Other legislators echoed Kila, saying the state’s ambitious and aggressive steps to decarbonize had to be equitable and assist many Hawaiʻi residents in that transition, particularly those in rural areas, so that they don’t get left behind. “We don’t just want a transition,” Rep. Tina Grandinetti said. “We want a just transition.” 📷State Rep. Darius Kila holds a West Oahu Town Hall on public safety Monday, Sept. 16, 2024, at Nanakuli High and Intermediate School in Waianae. He was joined by City Council member Andria Tupola, Honolulu Police Department Chief Joe Logan, Major Gail Beckley and Department of Law Enforcement Deputy Director Jared Redulla. Nānākuli Rep. Darius Kila: As the state surges forward with decarbonization goals, “there are people who are still trying to catch up.” (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024) Cost Of Compliance Remains Unknown It’s not yet clear exactly how the state’s zero-emissions goals might impact local families’ pocketbooks. Laura Kaakua, the transportation department’s energy security and outreach manager, said the agency aims to have some financial figures for the Legislature to review before its session next year. Nonetheless, the cost affiliated with converting Hawaiʻi’s transportation sector are expected to be relatively short-term so that residents can benefit from long-term savings in their fuel and energy costs, Sen. Chris Lee and Rep. Nicole Lowen said during the briefing. They’re among the Legislature’s most outspoken proponents for climate action. Brenton Awa, a Republican senator who represents much of Oʻahu’s Windward side and North Shore, said the decarbonization plan shouldn’t proceed at all if it results in any cost increases, even if those costs are short-term. Awa said he’s particularly worried about the continued, gradual exodus of Native Hawaiians off of the islands. The lawsuit that helped spur the transportation department’s new decarbonization plan, however, was largely brought by Native Hawaiian youth, represented by environmental legal advocacy groups, who fear climate change is already eroding their ability to live in the islands as their families have for generations . Sniffen, meanwhile, said that the aviation industry has reported it would cost about $1 billion more to convert to sustainable fuels by 2045 instead of five years later, in 2050. He told lawmakers that he needs to get a better sense of how locals would be hit by the short-term costs before recommending whether to keep the 2045 goals or push some of those goals out to later years. In the meantime, he said, he’s following the state’s climate goals as laid out by law. “Once I get that opportunity… then I can recommend to you what I would (support) based on getting to that green future that we want,” Sniffen said, “but also making sure that people can actually live here.” “I mean, that’s where I want to get to.” Civil Beat’s coverage of climate change and the environment is supported by The Healy Foundation, the Marisla Fund of the Hawai‘i Community Foundation and the Frost Family Foundation.

Fireworks task force bill passes out of committee; now headed for final reading Maui Now Brian Perry February 13, 2025 Original Article The Hawaiʻi Senate Ways and Means Committee passed Senate Bill 222 , which would fund an illegal fireworks task force. Although the amount of funding is not specified, the measure is now headed for third reading on the Senate floor before crossing over to the House of Representatives. A committee news release pointed out that Chair Donovan Dela Cruz established the task force in 2021. “The group focuses on intercepting illegal fireworks and addressing the growing problem of homemade explosives in the community, helping to improve public safety and reduce related risks.” On Feb. 5, the Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs recommended passage of the bill — the same day that Honolulu police announced that a sixth person died from injuries suffered in a New Year’s fireworks explosion in Honolulu. The blast of fireworks initially killed three adults and left more than 20 people in critical or serious medical condition. Most public testimony was in support of the bill. For example, Allen Novak said: “I support this measure as it helps to curb the use of illegal fireworks in Hawai’i. In spite of claims to the contrary, aerial fireworks are not a cultural tradition, and they present a fire, health and nuisance hazard to the community.” The state Department of Law Enforcement reported that the Illegal Fireworks Task Force has successfully removed, so far, more than 200,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from Hawaiʻi’s streets. The bill would extend the sunset clause for the task force from June 30, 2025, to June 30, 2030, which the department said “is critical to maintain this momentum and ensure the long-term effectiveness of the Task Force’s mission.” Earlier written testimony also supported the funding for the task force, its operations and hiring of administrative support staff. Money also would cover reimbursements to law enforcement agencies for personnel, overtime, fuel, equipment and storage and disposal of confiscated fireworks. On Wednesday, 13 members of the Ways and Means Committee voted in favor of sending the bill to the Senate floor, including Chair Dela Cruz, Vice Chair Sharon Moriwaki and Sens. Henry Aquino, Lynn DeCoite, Brandon Elefante, Troy Hashimoto, Lorraine Inouye, Dru Mamo Kanuha, Michelle Kidani, Donna Mercado Kim, Chris Lee, Glenn Wakai and Kurt Fevella. Also Wednesday, the House Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs Committee unanimously recommended passage of companion House Bill 508 on second reading. Supporting the measure were Chair David Tarnas, Vice Chair Mahina Poepoe and Reps. Della Au Belatti, Mark Hashem, Kirstin Kahaloa, Amy Perruso, Gregg Takayama, Chris Todd and Garner Shimizu. Rep. Diamond Garcia voted “aye” with reservations. In other Ways and Means Committee action, the panel advanced: Senate Bill 327 Senate Draft 1 , which would expand the Hele Imua internship program. The program allows residents to take part in paid internships with private businesses. Funded by the Legislature in 2022, Hele Imua provides opportunities for people to gain valuable work-based experience and support themselves and their families. “Workforce development programs like Hele Imua are critical to reversing the brain drain and keeping residents employed in Hawaiʻi,” according to the committee. Senate Bill 1117 Senate Draft 1 would clarify regulations around electric bikes (e-bikes), requiring helmets, setting age limits for certain types of e-bikes and introducing insurance requirements for electric motorcycles. “The goal is to promote the responsible use of e-bikes, which can help reduce people’s reliance on traditional vehicles,” the committee said. “The bill also expands an existing rebate program to encourage more people to use e-bikes in a safe and sustainable way.” Senate Bill 1044 Senate Draft 1 would address rapidly rising insurance costs for condominiums by expanding the Hawaiʻi Property Insurance Association and the Hawaiʻi Hurricane Relief Fund to offer coverage for properties that are unable to get insurance through private companies. The bill was amended to include a loan program to help condominiums with maintenance issues that have led to higher insurance premiums or made it difficult to get insurance from private companies.

Charity dinner raises $50K for mediation center Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald Staff December 5, 2024 Original Article At the 2024 Annual Recognition Dinner & Auction on Nov. 17, Jennifer Zelko-Schlueter was awarded the “Peacemaker Award” by Ku‘ikahi Mediation Center, and Judge M. Kanani Laubach was awarded the “Meritorious Service Award” by the Hawaii County Bar Association. “What a great evening celebrating two very deserving wahine,” Ku‘kahi Executive Director Julie Mitchell said in a press release. “Mahalo to all who contributed of their time, talents and treasures to make this fundraiser the most successful ever!” The event raised $50,000 for the center. “We truly appreciate our honorees, sponsors, ticket buyers, auction bidders, guests, cash and in-kind event donors, auction donors, emcee, introducers, musician, sound operator, special event committee, event volunteers, board and staff,” Mitchell said. The annual dinner and auction provides a significant portion of the funds that Ku‘ikahi needs to provide free and low-cost dispute prevention and resolution services in East Hawaii and beyond. To make a year-end charitable gift to support this local non-profit community mediation center, please visit: https://hawaiimediation.org/donate/.

Hawaii Senate bills aim to protect farmers, boost ag theft penalties Star Advertiser John Burnett, Hawaii Tribune-Herald February 20, 2025 Original Article Two agriculture-related bills moving forward at the state Legislature would increase penalties for agricultural theft and allow farmers and ranchers to use deadly force against intruders under certain circumstances. Senate bills 1248 and 1249, both introduced by Sen. Tim Richards (D-Kohala), have cleared the Committee on Agriculture and Environment. Both bills on Feb. 13 passed their second readings. SB 1248, the stand-your-ground legislation, has been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, while SB 1249, an omnibus agricultural measure, has been referred to a joint session of the Judiciary and Ways and Means committees. SB 1248 would allow a farmer or rancher, under certain circumstances, to use deadly force without retreating. Richards calls the measure the “Cranston Duke Pia Act.” Pia was a 39-year-old Makaha rancher, who was — in Richards’ words — “executed in front of his mother” for protecting his cattle from hunting dogs on Feb. 17, 2024. Pia died of a single gunshot wound to the head. Chantston Pila Kekawa, then 17, of Maili, was charged as an adult with second-degree murder, first-degree terroristic threatening, firearm offenses and first-degree theft. He’s pleaded not guilty and has a trial scheduled for April 7 in Honolulu Circuit Court. Richards said Pia’s mother visited his office four days after the shooting. “Mutual friends brought her in with Cranston’s widow,” Richards said. “I gave her my word I would work very diligently on trying to make a difference, and not let Cranston’s murder be for nothing. That’s been my driver. “We’ve hit some headwinds, as you can imagine … but it is making progress and it is highlighting the problems of crimes against agriculture.” The measure received written testimony in support by the state Department of Agriculture, Kapapala Ranch, Hawaii Farm Bureau and Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council. In her written testimony, Lani Cran Petrie of Kapapala Ranch in Kau said that she, as president of the Hawaii Cattlemen’s Council, presented a resolution in Pia’s memory earlier this month to a National Cattlemen’s Beef Association committee. “The resolution was accepted by the committee and is moving towards its presentation to the full membership for vote at the next annual convention,” Petrie wrote, calling the response from fellow ranchers at the convention in San Antonio “humbling and overwhelming.” The Hawaii Farm Bureau testified that Pia’s death “highlighted the vulnerabilities that agricultural workers face, particularly in remote areas where law enforcement response times may be delayed.” “In recent years, the agricultural community has reported an increase in confrontations with trespassers, including incidents where farm workers and landowners have been physically threatened,” the testimony states. “In some cases, criminals have returned multiple times, emboldened by the knowledge that response times from law enforcement are slow or that penalties for agricultural crimes are minimal. Farmers and ranchers need stronger protections to defend themselves and their families when faced with imminent threats.” Pia’s father, Mike Pia, told lawmakers in live testimony on Feb. 10, “I want to see this thing pass.” “Until today, I still ask the question, why?” Mike Pia testified. “Why a young kid took my son away, my youngest son, of my four children?” “I’m still grieving today. It’s very painful,” he said. According to the FindLaw website, 29 states have some form of stand-your-ground law. A companion bill to the omnibus agriculture bill, House Bill 859, was introduced by Rep. Matthias Kusch (D-Hilo, Hamakua) and passed its second reading on Feb. 5 after clearing the Committee on Agriculture. The legislation’s intent is to establish an agricultural crime prevention program within the DOA to provide grants, education and other services to the state’s agricultural industry and to strengthen laws regarding agriculture theft and hunting on private agriculture lands. “The meat and potatoes of this bill is that it more carefully lays out penalties for agricultural crimes,” said Kusch. “Right now … (perpetrators) don’t get pursued by prosecutors because it’s sort of nebulous. There are a lot of hurdles, like you have to catch someone with a camera and they would have had to have climbed over a sign saying ‘this fruit is not free.’” “We’re talking about making it sting a little bit,” added Richards. “The perpetrators are stealing avocados or papayas, whatever. And what the attorney general is working on is to stiffen the fines to make them more expensive and changing laws from saying ‘may include jail time’ to ‘shall include jail time’ to lock these people up.” Written testimony in support has been submitted by Hawaii County Prosecutor Kelden Waltjen, Honolulu Police Department, Hawaii Farm Bureau, the Hawaii Department of the Attorney General and the state Department of Agriculture. Written testimony in opposition was submitted by the Office of the Public Defender. Waltjen told the Hawaii Tribune-Herald on Tuesday that he supports the efforts by Richards and Kusch “to aid farmers and ranchers by providing funding to protect and secure their crops and livestock, establishing more appropriate penalties to hold offenders accountable to deter future crimes, and supporting local law enforcement with additional resources.” “Agricultural crimes — including theft, trespass and poaching/hunting on private agricultural lands — have been an ongoing concern across our state,” Waltjen said. “To my knowledge, our office is the only law enforcement office in the state that conducts agriculture crime awareness and prevention efforts by visiting local farmers markets. “Our investigators educate vendors and members of the public about agriculture theft, the impact of purchasing stolen fruits, vegetables and produce, laws regarding ownership and movement certificates, document recent agriculture theft incidents for victims, and share methods farmers and ranchers can employ to protect their crops, animals, produce and equipment.” Waltjen said the measures, if passed, “will further support these types of efforts” statewide.

Honolulu City Council ‘reaffirms’ opposition to landfill over aquifer Honolulu Star - Advertiser Ian Bauer January 11, 2025 Original Article Over 20 years ago a prior Honolulu City Council passed a resolution that stated municipal solid waste landfills should not be located in proximity to Oahu’s underground drinking water sources. In 2003, Resolution 9 was adopted to safeguard Oahu’s important water resources. At the time, the policy was supposedly prompted by concerns that even with the best landfill technologies, the risk of hazardous materials contaminating the island’s freshwater aquifer could, over time, potentially harm public health and safety. The city’s policies, however, also can change over time. On Dec. 10, Mayor Rick Blangiardi’s administration announced its intent to site the city’s next dump on active agricultural land owned by Dole Food Co. Hawaii near Wahiawa. The site — west of Kamehameha Highway and north of Paalaa Uka Pupukea Road — is also about 800 feet above Oahu’s freshwater aquifer, according to Board of Water Supply Manager and Chief Engineer Ernie Lau. To that end, Lau has expressed opposition to the planned landfill site’s location, due to its proximity to the island’s primary supply of drinking water. Others, like Council Vice Chair Matt Weyer and Council member Radiant Cordero, agree. On Jan. 2 the pair introduced Resolution 3, meant to reaffirm the city’s 2003 policy against landfills near underground freshwater sources. Weyer, whose Council District 2 includes Wahiawa as well as the North Shore, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser that he wants the city administration to revisit its landfill siting decision. “Before we spend taxpayer money, before we go down a path that isn’t workable, we just kind of want to provide the pathway to take this off the table and move on to other locations and have that discussion with the community,” he said. Weyer said he’s had “conversations with the mayor’s administration, and they know my concerns” over the landfill’s siting in Wahiawa. “They feel that they can operate it safely, and they believe it’s the only legal pathway (to have a landfill),” he said. “But when we look at the Board of Water Supply’s position, we definitely stand with them, recognizing that they do have authority to reject a potential landfill site.” Cordero, whose Council District 7 includes Halawa and Red Hill, noted the urgency in preventing more contamination from entering Oahu’s freshwater supply. “Placing a solid waste landfill over our city’s aquifer would be both counterproductive and reckless,” she said in a statement. “After the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility leak in my district, our communities across the island are still recovering.” But the city contends a new landfill on Oahu is necessary. And the Wahiawa site, the city argues, allows it to continue to handle the island’s estimated 225,000 tons of solid waste and related materials it puts into its dump each year. City officials say they hope to negotiate a purchase of about 150 acres — the amount of land needed for a solid waste landfill — out of what they described as an approximately 2,360-acre parcel now owned by Dole. Dole has publicly stated opposition to the city locating a landfill on its actively used agricultural lands in Wahiawa. However, the company has indicated to the city it has unused lands for sale nearby. At the state Capitol on Tuesday, city Managing Director Mike Formby and city Department of Environmental Services officials addressed lawmakers with the city’s reasons to have the next dump on Dole lands. City officials said it was due, in part, to a state- imposed Dec. 31 deadline to find an alternate site, ahead of the planned closure of the 35-year-old Waimanalo Gulch Sanitary Landfill in Kapolei, in accordance with a 2019 decision and order by the state Land Use Commission. That West Oahu dump is set to close in 2028, though the landfill will not reach full capacity until 2032, the city said. At the same meeting, BWS’ Lau noted a U.S. Geological Survey study conducted in 2003, which states all landfills eventually leak — often dispersing into the environment harmful chemicals like arsenic as well as PFAS, or so-called “forever chemicals,” linked to illnesses like cancer. BWS must evaluate the proposed landfill site and, based on its proximity to potable water sources, may approve or reject the proposal. Previously, BWS objected to the city siting a landfill within its so-called “no-pass zone,” an area that covers the interior of the island where Oahu’s potable water aquifer is located. During the joint meeting of the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Environment, state Sen. Mike Gabbard, chair of the Senate’s committee, asked, “Who has the final say, the Board of Water Supply, City Council, the mayor? Where does it end?” Formby replied the city has set out a plan “to exhaust as many options as we could, respecting the rule of law.” The city, he said, has not “formally made a recommendation for this proposed site to (BWS) yet.” He added, “Whether or not that gets challenged, and (Chief Engineer Lau) might write us a letter and say, ‘For your specific proposal, I say no,’ in which case, we would appeal that to the (BWS’ board of directors).” Formby said the board also “has the ability to actually override the chief engineer, which would then give us a green light for this proposed site.” Meanwhile, Weyer said a public town hall meeting over the proposed landfill site will be held 6-8 p.m. Wednesday at Wahiawa Elementary School’s cafeteria, 1402 Glen Ave. BWS’ Lau, state officials and Dole company representatives will be in attendance at that meeting, he said. The Council’s Committee on Housing, Sustainability, Economy and Health is also expected to review Resolution 3 at 1 p.m. Tuesday inside City Council Chambers, 530 S. King St.

Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz praises release of 2024 Hawaiʻi Quality of Life Dashboard Maui Now Maui Now December 12, 2024 Original Article Hawaiʻi State Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chair Donovan M. Dela Cruz (Senate District 17 – portions of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipiʻo Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village) applauded the release of the 2024 Hawaiʻi Quality of Life and Well-Being Dashboard. On Tuesday, the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and the Office of Wellness and Resilience under the Office of the Governor launched the dashboard, which features in-depth findings on social, economic, and health issues affecting the state’s residents. The Office of Wellness and Resilience was made possible through legislation (Act 291) that the senator championed in 2022. “The state has taken meaningful strides to make Hawaiʻi a trauma-informed state, and I am proud to have continued these efforts by advocating for legislation (Act 106, SLH 2024) that resulted in the largest statewide survey on health in Hawaiʻi ever, as well as the largest dataset using CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Worker Well-Being Questionnaire (NIOSH WellBQ) ,” said Senator Dela Cruz. “The data in this dashboard shows that we must continue to increase the economic opportunities for our residents so they can remain in Hawaiʻi. Diversifying our economy in the areas of creative industries, agriculture, and technology must be paired with investments in workforce development so our residents can fill the good-paying jobs here in Hawaiʻi.” Key findings from the report that populates the dashboard identify main economic stressors, health disparities, community strength and workplace support, within Hawaiʻi’s communities. It also provides recommendations for actions advancing health equity, economic stability, disaster preparedness and workplace innovation. The dashboard’s launch will allow people to access data as a resource for crafting strategies and improving lives. For more details on the interactive dashboard, visit health-study.com .

Federal lawsuit filed to block tax on visiting cruise ships Hawaii News Now Ben Gutierrez August 28, 2025 Original Article HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - A consortium of cruise ship operators and tour businesses have filed a lawsuit in federal court to block the state’s new law to tax cruise ships in the same way as hotels. Cruise Lines International Association, Inc. v. Suganuma contends that Hawaii is blatantly violating the U.S. Constitution by imposing the 11% tax on out-of-state cruise passengers in January, and letting the counties add an extra 3%. It’s the first time cruise ships would have to pay the transient accommodations tax charged to guests at hotels and vacation rentals. “Here you have a floating hotel, right? You have a floating hotel,” said state Sen. Lynn DeCoite, who chairs the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee. “The hotel industry has paid their fair sure for the past years.” The group that filed the lawsuit wouldn’t do an interview. But the lawsuit claims that “As the Supreme Court long has recognized, the Constitution’s Tonnage Clause bars States from imposing any “charge for the privilege of entering, trading in, or lying in a port.” The complaint also said, “For an average family, Act 96 will add hundreds of dollars to the cost of popular cruise itineraries that dock in Hawaii ports. That substantial price increase will cause many families to forego trips to Hawaii in favor of other destinations.” “‘It’s going to hurt the industry and people are not going to come.’ Well then find me a tourist on your ship that is going to publicly say that. Say it publicly. If that’s the case, then this is not the place for you,” DeCoite said. Last year, the state said more than 150,000 out-of-state cruise line passengers came to Hawaii. “One of the challenges is because they don’t pay any tax when they come to port, yet they still have stress on the infrastructure,” said Jerry Agrusa, a professor with the University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management. The new tax also includes a .75% “Green Fee” to fund projects that help the environment. “I spoke with a lot of tourists this weekend while I was sitting there playing tourist myself and I didn’t hear anybody complain about it,” DeCoite said. “I brought up the Green Fee just like that, and they’re like, we don’t mind.” The state Department of the Attorney General said it was just served with the complaint and won’t comment until they have a chance to review it.

Hawaiʻi Legislature Begins 2025 With High Hopes For Solving Our Toughest Issues Honolulu Civil Beat Kevin Dayton, Chad Blair January 15, 2025 Original Article The state House and Senate are largely on the same page when it comes to priorities for the 2025 session that officially opened Wednesday. Leading the list are stabilization of the condominium insurance market, strengthening enforcement of illegal fireworks, streamlining approval processes so developers can build more affordable housing and improving biosecurity to control and expel invasive species. But House and Senate leaders are not in agreement on issues such as recreational marijuana. And some House members clashed over rules governing their own chamber. Differences between the House and Senate — both of which are overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats — on what issues to enact and how to enact them may not have evaporated. For example, the Senate approved bills for recreational marijuana over the past two sessions but the measures died in the House — something that Senate President Ron Kouchi reminded reporters of at a press conference following the floor session. Rep. David Tarnas said he was working on an omnibus bill that would take into consideration not only recreational marijuana but also adjustments to the state’s medical marijuana program and related issues. “I think the people in the state of Hawaii really would like us to address cannabis policy in a comprehensive manner, which includes medical cannabis, which has been legal for many, many years,” he said. “It includes hemp, which is legal as well. And it includes the adult use of cannabis.” And, while both chambers are generally in sync with the priorities of Gov. Josh Green, a fellow Democrat, they are still not sold on the governor’s proposal for a fee levied on visitors through the hotel tax to pay for climate change mitigation. Rep. Kyle Yamashita, chair of the House Finance Committee, wants to be careful before considering taking interest from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to pay for climate mitigation. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025) Rep. Kyle Yamashita said he was cautious about embracing another idea from the governor: to use interest from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to help pay for part of climate mitigation. The state currently enjoys a healthy fund balance, but economic cycles can change, he warned. “I’m kind of hesitant to touch that because I believe we need to build the reserve up,” he said. “My concern is we had over a decade since the Lehman Brothers downturn of prosperity and then we had the pandemic and we had a drop. But the Fed just gave us so much money that it actually spiked and caused inflation.” A better option, said Yamashita, might be to raise visitor fees at popular tourist destinations such as trails, something that Kouchi said he is open to considering. Hanging over the Legislature’s to-list is a shared unease with what might transpire in Washington, D.C., when Donald Trump returns to the White House with a Republican-controlled Congress to support him. House Speaker Nadine Nakamura expressed concerns that Hawaiʻi’s share of federal funding might be reduced. Hawaiʻi’s vulnerability to events out of its control is underscored by the Los Angeles fires that are still burning. Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, who is working on home insurance legislation, said the increase in severity of natural disasters has made crafting legislative solutions more complicated. Hawaiʻi, he noted, is at risk not only for tsunamis, hurricanes and volcanoes but also wildfires. “We are now seen as a risky state,” he said, pointing out that Hawaiʻi was not considered an insurance concern after 1992’s Hurricane ʻIniki. “But now that these catastrophes are getting so much attention, we have to deal with what’s happening in the marketplace now. So some of it is going to be our responsibility to stabilize.” Jobs Wanted For Locals The Senate plans to focus on workforce development coupled with education. The idea, said Kouchi, is to help young students not only with internships and apprenticeships but to help them find jobs in Hawaiʻi after school. The Senate’s priorities involve advancing technology integration across campuses, aligning curriculum to workforce needs, supporting career and technical education and boosting student test performance. The House is also interested in expanding training and internship programs to better prepare students for public and private sector career paths. “Additionally, we are examining strategies to recruit and retain public workers in the State of Hawaiʻi as we face workforce retirements and prepare for upcoming vacancies,” according to a House press release. Senate President Ron Kouchi made it clear Wednesday that there are a number of important issues for the House and Senate to work on. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025) Kouchi said Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz, the Ways and Means Committee chair, would take the lead on education and workforce development. The Senate would also seek to generate new revenue streams, possibly through innovations in agriculture. Kouchi and Dela Cruz also both favor land banking — buying and managing land with the intention of selling or developing it. Kouchi said land banking could lead to developing more housing and agriculture and even help when it comes to siting new jails and prisons. House History, And Rules In the House, Nakamura became the first female speaker in Hawaii history to take charge of a House floor session. Nakamura thanked the new House leaders and her fellow House Democrats, who chose her as speaker for the 33rd Legislature in November. The discussions in the Democratic caucus that resulted in her selection for the top job in the House were not open to the public. Nakamura said she turned to her 97-year-old mother, Mabel Maeda, for advice on how to handle the responsibility and challenges of her new role. Maeda, who watched from the House floor as Nakamura spoke, experienced the full weight of governmental power in Hawai’i during the years following the bombing of Pearl Harbor. She was orphaned at age 6, and her guardian before the war was a Tenrikyo minister who was taken away in the middle of the night and imprisoned in New Mexico, Nakamura said. When she was older, she and other students were required to work at least one day a week in the pineapple fields to support the local wartime economy. Nakamura said she reflected on those experiences because “the decisions we make in this chamber will also reverberate for generations to come.” Nadine Nakamura is the first woman to lead the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives. On opening day Wednesday, she called for her colleagues to work together. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025) “So when I asked my mother what advice she’d give me and my fellow legislators, she said that we should try to be humble and respect each other,” Nakamura said. “She said to overlook the faults that we all have, and find the good in each other.” Nakamura introduced the 11 freshmen House members, and called on all of her colleagues to work cooperatively on a House vision for Hawaiʻi that stresses the need for a “healthy, thriving and housed” state population. “If we work together, if we set aside grudges, if we listen to each other, roll up our sleeves, and if we direct our limited resources wisely, we can achieve this vision,” she said. “And when we disagree with each other, which might happen now and then, we do so respectfully and with civility.” Related Articles Solving Hawaiʻi’s Housing Crisis Front And Center In New Legislative Session Green Proposes Spending Another $30 Million On A New Oʻahu Jail Legislature May Take A Stand Against Decades Of Pay-To-Play Politics Will This Be The Year Hawaiʻi Charges Visitors For Their Environmental Impact? Green Says Budget Has Room For Public Worker Pay Raises, Even With Tax Cuts Hawai‘i House Finance Chair Has Plans For Big Changes In The Tax Code Legislators Look To Support Student Recovery From The Pandemic In what may be a sign of political friction to come, freshman Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto, a Democrat, and Rep. Kanani Souza, a Republican, voted against a routine resolution appointing House caucus leaders and making House committee assignments. Iwamoto, who is a lawyer and a left-leaning Democrat, said the appointment of Rep. Linda Ichiyama as both vice speaker and a voting member of four House committees violates House rules. The most recent House rules allow the vice speaker to serve as a voting member of only one committee. Iwamoto also objected to the makeup of the House Finance Committee, which she said should have included another Democrat, according to the House rules. The committees are supposed to be composed of Republicans and Democrats proportionate to their numbers in the House, which Iwamoto said requires another Democrat on Finance. There are 42 Democrats and nine Republicans in the House. Souza, who is also a lawyer, voted against the resolution because she said there were changes made to the committee lineup and included in the resolution after the committee assignments were announced in a House memo and a news release to the public last year. She did not say what changes prompted her objection. Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto voted against routine resolutions including committee assignments over what she said were violations of House rules. (David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025) House Democratic Majority Leader Sean Quinlan replied that proportionality is “very poorly defined in our House rules,” and the House is in the process of updating the rules. He also said there is nothing in the rules specifically prohibiting the speaker or vice speaker from serving as committee members. Republican Minority Leader Lauren Matsumoto thanked Nakamura for making an effort to reach out to the minority, and praised the new House leadership for “re-examining how we conduct the people’s work in this chamber.” She called on House members to make fiscal policy changes that include eliminating the state income tax, and eliminating taxes on tips. She also urged public disclosure of how much each bill before the Legislature will cost, a mechanism that in some states is known as “fiscal notes.” That means “we have to know how much something costs before we vote on it. Currently 44 other state legislatures already do this, and it’s time Hawai’i does as well,” she said. Yamashita, the House Finance Committee chair, said in a news conference after the floor session that the House is undertaking a comprehensive review of both state and county taxes. Nakamura noted the Legislature passed an unprecedented state income tax cut last year that will reduce state tax collections by billions of dollars in the years ahead. “I think it would be a stretch” to now entirely eliminate the state income tax, she said. As for fiscal notes, Yamashita said that has been brought up before, but “it takes resources and effort.” He added that “it’s something we, at this time, we don’t have the resources to be able to put something out there.” Gov. Josh Green is slated to deliver his State of the State address Tuesday. The Legislature is scheduled to adjourn May 2.