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.

Trump’s order to cut federal funding sends shock waves in Hawaii Star Advertiser Dan Nakaso January 29, 2025 Original Article President Donald Trump’s orders to cut federal funding for a wide range of programs and nonprofit organizations has set off chaos and confusion in Hawaii and around the country. All of Trump’s orders to halt federal funding for multiple programs sent Hawaii officials scrambling Tuesday to pinpoint which programs and services may be at risk. Hawaii departments and agencies rely on 2,600 different federal “accounts,” acting Gov. Sylvia Luke told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. But state officials do not know whether the list of 2,600 federal accounts used by various state agencies — including the state departments of Health and Human Services and the University of Hawaii — was complete, including how many state workers’ salaries are funded by the federal government, Luke said. She asked anyone who hears about or experiences disruptions in programs to contact their state legislator so the state can get a better picture of the situation. Luke hopes state legislators provide more funding for critical programs that rely on federal funding to continue services across Hawaii. But of the state’s $17 billion budget, Luke said half comes from special and federal dollars. “We don’t have the funds to supplant all of the federal funds that can be lost,” she said. In a statement Tuesday, state Senate President Ron Kouchi (D, Kauai-Niihau), said, “These programs — spanning healthcare, education, infrastructure, housing, and more — are lifelines for our Hawai‘i residents as well as millions of Americans, and the temporary suspension of these funds will only exacerbate challenges that are already straining our communities.” House Speaker Nadine Nakamura (D, Hanalei-Princeville-Kapaa) issued a statement saying, “This freeze is deeply concerning as it could jeopardize critical services that Hawai‘i’s communities depend on, including education, healthcare, social services, wildfire recovery, and essential federally funded programs. Furthermore, it undermines the progress we have made in ensuring representation and support for our Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.” The Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations said in a statement that Trump’s call for a “temporary” pause on all agency federal grants and loans “will have immediate and devastating impacts to nonprofits that receive federal funding and for our communities at large. The shock waves of this unprecedented action are reverberating throughout the country and our local communities. HANO joins in your concerns and your fears, and we believe this unilateral action taken by President Trump is unconstitutional.” Luke said that in her 10 years as House finance chair before being elected lieutenant governor in 2022, “We have never seen this type of directive out of the White House.” Even more concerning, she said, Trump’s actions are aimed, in particular, at critical issues for Hawaii, including addressing climate change, embracing diversity, culture and inclusion — and at specific communities such as immigrants like herself, various ethnicities, lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgenders. “They have an agenda,” she said of the Trump administration and his supporters. Luke hopes Trump’s threats to dismantle the Federal Emergency Management Agency do not jeopardize future federal funding to rebuild Maui after the Aug. 8, 2023, wildfires, which killed 102 people and all but wiped out Lahaina. And she also worries that Trump might target the Compact of Free Association, which gives residents from the Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau access to the full range of federal benefits available to lawful U.S. residents, including food aid from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Temporary Aid for Needy Families. The agreements were made after U.S. nuclear weapons tests killed, maimed and caused health issues for the people of their islands. On Monday the U.S. Office of Management and Budget issued a directive to federal agencies to pause “all activities related to obligation or disbursement of all federal financial assistance” starting Tuesday to conduct a review of whether government spending “aligns with Trump’s agenda,” Schatz told his Senate colleagues Tuesday. The OMB later clarified that programs would be spared from review that provide direct benefits to people who receive Medicaid, SNAP or Social Security benefits. Gov. Josh Green said in a statement that Trump’s directives have “caused a great deal of chaos, confusion and uncertainty.” “The presidential order seeks to prevent the people of Hawaii from receiving crucial services funded by the millions of dollars they pay to the federal government each year,” Green said. “This cannot stand. My administration is currently assessing the impact of this pause on essential state programs and services, including education, health care, social services, and wildfire recovery.” The immediate aftermath of Trump’s flurry of directives will equally effect Republican and Democratic states, U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and U.S. Rep. Jill Tokuda said separately Tuesday. Schatz rose on the floor of the U.S. Senate and said: “I also would like to select the federal funding, which I agree with and fund that, and select the funding that I disagree with and defund that. But I’m not a monarch and neither is Donald Trump. “We’re hearing from so many constituents across the country, and I had a bit of a time delay because it’s earlier in Hawaii, but all of my colleagues were getting incoming texts and calls and panicked people,” Schatz said. “This isn’t about some arcane government program. This is, like, basic stuff.” Schatz, Tokuda and others including the Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations called Trump’s “temporary” pause on all agency federal grants and loans unconstitutional, chaotic and creating confusion across the country, including in red states. Tokuda said Trump “decided in his head that he was just going to do it. And that’s resulted in an onslaught of executive orders. He was just going to put out his mandates, throw noodles to the wall and see what would stick, to see if Republicans in Congress would bow down to him, ultimately making this a government of one and removing the separation of powers that protects all Americans.” Just as the cuts were to take effect Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Loren AliKhan ordered the Trump administration not to block funding to existing programs until Monday after nonprofit and public health organizations filed lawsuits. AliKhan has scheduled a hearing in Washington, D.C., for Monday. However the judge rules, it remains to be seen whether the losing side will appeal — or Trump will simply ignore a decision against his directives, claiming they are the result of executive orders, Luke said. “We really don’t know,” she said. “We won’t know if this will continue a week from now, a month from now, a year from now. But we have an obligation to be ready for the worst-case scenario.”

Is HECO’s Monopoly Over? New Law Could Change Power Market Civil Beat Stewart Yerton July 8, 2025 Original Article Hawaiian Electric Co.’s century-long hold on Hawaiʻi’s electricity market soon will change in a major way, creating a potential path to lower rates for businesses and residents. Starting in 2027, HECO will be required to let independent electricity producers use its grid to deliver electricity directly to customers for a fee, potentially ending the utility’s standing as the sole choice for most electric consumers in the state. Under the current system, producers must sell electricity at a wholesale price to HECO, which pools it to sell to customers at a higher rate. Gov. Josh Green signed the groundbreaking bill on Thursday, despite having previously signaled his intent to veto the measure. It remains to be seen to what extent the new system will lead to significant savings for residential customers. A previously passed law allowing renters to buy power from community solar farms, for instance, has gone nowhere , hampered by what critics say are untenable rules. But even critics of the new law have said it could generate savings for some customers. State Sen. Glenn Waka i, who chairs the Energy and Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and sponsored the bill , said the measure was meant to introduce competition in Hawaiʻi’s electricity market and reduce costs in a state where customers pay the nation’s highest costs for electricity — more than three times the national average. “We have for more than 100 years been at the mercy of HECO for our electricity needs, and we’ve seen in recent times that the delivery of that electricity has been very unreliable and very, very expensive,” Wakai said. “In the next two years, come 2027, all HECO’s customers will have an option of buying from someone other than HECO.” “I think this is a game changer to benefit the consumers,” Wakai said. Green’s office also expressed optimism. “We believe that the provisions contained within the bill will allow for greater energy choice and hopefully a reduction in costs for Hawai‘i’s consumers,” Green’s spokeswoman, Makana McClellan, said in a written statement. HECO spokesman Jim Kelly declined an interview request. Law Could ‘Really Open Up Our Grid’ The law includes several provisions to break HECO’s hold on Hawaiʻi’s electricity market, but the most important involves what energy experts call wheeling. Under the current system, developers build big wind and solar farms and sell the power to HECO under long-term contracts. HECO pays as little as 8 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity from these independent power producers, said Jeff Mikulina, a renewable energy consultant who was an architect of the law requiring Hawaiʻi to produce all of the electricity sold in the state from renewable resources by 2045. Meanwhile, HECO charges residential customers on Oʻahu almost 43 cents per kilowatt hour . Big Island residents pay 48 cents. Wakai said a goal of the law is to enable customers to pay closer to what the renewable electricity costs HECO to buy and to encourage smaller players to get in the game. The wheeling provision does this by letting independent electricity producers pay a set fee to use HECO’s grid to deliver power to customers. Although wheeling has long been allowed on the mainland, it’s been prohibited by law in Hawaiʻi. The PUC had been investigating a proposal to allow wheeling between government entities only, and Green’s intent-to-veto statement pointed to that as a reason to veto the broader bill. Green decided to sign the broad bill after the PUC said it would cancel the intra-governmental wheeling inquiry, McClellan said. Hawaiʻi’s previous prohibition against wheeling has played out on the ground at places like Green Homes Hanalei, a cluster of seven homes in west Oʻahu built in 2017 around the idea of using solar and storage to make the subdivision as energy self-sufficient as possible. Developer R.J. Martin powered each home with photovoltaic solar cells combined with two Tesla Powerwall batteries. Each home had garages with chargers for electric vehicles. Martin wanted to go further and link the homes with a small power grid that would let homeowners share surplus power with each other. But he quickly learned that would be illega l. Homeowners would have to become regulated utilities to share surplus electricity with their neighbors. “No one in their right mind is going to go through that exercise,” Wakai said. “So now, it just simplifies what has been all these walls and impediments put up by the government as well as by HECO.” Martin hopes the new law will enable him to do something more innovative in the near future: use renewables and perhaps a microgrid to power a larger, workforce housing subdivision he’s planning for West Oʻahu. But much will depend on how the Hawaiʻi Public Utilities Commission implements the law, Mikulina said. “If the PUC does it right, it can really open up our grid to some innovative renewable solutions,” Mikulina said. “This could catalyze renewable growth and really help folks who need access to this.” Critics Say Some Could Be Left Out Critics point to potential unintended consequences. A major issue involves equity. The concern is that HECO customers with the money and wherewithal to partner with an independent power producer will defect from HECO, leaving those less well-off to still deal with higher rates. Testifying against the bill, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1260, which works on utility infrastructure, argued the long-term technical effects of wheeling on HECO’s grid are unknown. “Further,” the union wrote, “the fixed-cost of operating and maintaining the system will remain unchanged and passed on to those left in the system, essentially increasing the cost of electricity to those who can least afford it.” Given this risk, it will be key to make sure lower-income residential customers can benefit as the commission creates rules governing the program, said Michael Colón, director of energy for the Ulupono Initiative, which supports the use of renewable energy. To address such concerns, Wakai said, the law limits the size of a wind or solar farm allowed to use the wheeling provision to two megawatts, the size needed to power about 3,000 homes. “We’re not talking about, you know, large 50- to 60-megawatt plants going and selling to all the Waikīkī hotels,” Wakai said. “That’s not going to be possible under this scenario.” “What is possible under this scenario,” he said, “is, if you have let’s say 10 acres of land that can create two megawatts of power, you are free to go and sell to the nearby residents or wheel it across the island to someone who’s willing to take it.” That’s promising news to people like Steve Mazur, director of commercial business development for RevoluSun, one of Hawaiʻi’s largest solar companies. Mazur said he’s encountered business owners with energy hogging cold storage systems but small rooftops located near businesses with huge rooftops but little electricity needs. If implemented well by the PUC, Mazur said, the new law could make way for solar panels on the large roof to power the neighboring business. “These rooftops are sitting there empty,” he said. “There has to be something to entice them.” 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. “Hawaiʻi’s Changing Economy” is supported by a grant from the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation as part of its work to build equity for all through the CHANGE Framework.

YWCA ‘Dress For Success’ program empowers local women KITV Megan Bobilin April 16, 2025 Original Article HONOLULU (Island News) – State and City lawmakers, Capitol staffers and community members teamed up this week with one goal, to empower women in Hawaii. With more than 90 bags filled with donations for the annual YWCA O‘ahu ‘Dress For Success’ Program, members of the Hawaii State Legislature took a step towards helping women achieve independence. The annual clothing drive includes gifts of professional attire, including dresses, blazers, accessories, shoes, handbags and brand-new undergarments. Supporting local women as they work reenter the workforce, often overcoming barriers such as poverty, homelessness or incarceration. Hawaii Representative, Gregg Takayama, who helps to organize the annual event highlighted the difference it makes in the community. "Dress for Success has transformed the lives of countless women by helping them to build confidence and prepare for new job opportunities," Takayama said. “Sometimes, all it takes is one outfit to help someone land a job and take that first step toward independence.” Senator San Buenaventura echoed that sentiment, agreeing that professional clothes can be a significant investment with the power to transform lives and therefore, the community. “The YWCA’s Dress for Success initiative goes beyond just professional attire—it represents dignity, opportunity and empowerment,” Buenaventura said. “When we invest in women, we invest in stronger families, stronger communities and a stronger future.” With pride, Buenaventura expressed support for the community initiative – all to give women the tools, confidence and support they need to thrive in the workforce.

State breaks ground on agribusiness hub Aloha State Daily Michael Brestovansky November 14, 2025 Original Article State officials broke ground Friday on a long-awaited Wahiawā agriculture and food hub. The Agribusiness Development Corporation and Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism held a ceremony Friday to commemorate the start of construction for the Central O‘ahu Agriculture and Food Hub, a facility built on a 34-acre parcel in Whitmore Village that will serve to expand the state's food production base. The hub is intended to provide manufacturing and industry services at commercial scale, allowing local producers to expand and export out of state. On top of workforce housing developments, the facility is planned to include more than 60,000 square feet of greenhouses, a high-pressure processing facility for food preservation, a manufacturing facility, warehouse space and more. Meanwhile, the state Department of Education will also construct a Central O‘ahu Regional Kitchen in the hub, which will connect produce from local farms to school cafeterias, serving as a model for similar regional hubs across the state. Partners in the project — which include DBEDT, the ADC and DOE, as well as the University of Hawaii's College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resilience, UH Community College System, state Department of Accounting and General Services and Department of Law Enforcement — hope the hub will help fulfill a pair of mandates whose deadlines are approaching fast. In 2019, Act 151 required Hawai‘i to double local food production and exports by 2030. Then, in 2021, Act 175 established the state farm-to-school program, with a goal of using locally produced food to make at least 30% of public school meals, also by 2030. Another state deadline is further off, but approaching no less swiftly: Act 176, passed in 2021, requires state departments to use local sources for 50% of their food by 2050. State Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz said the project is a big step to make those state goals more physically real and prompt greater buy-in from the public and other stakeholders. "Depending on the commodity we're trying to scale up, whether that's rice or leafy greens or cattle ... we're going to need facilities like these to help those farmers scale up." ADC Executive Director Wendy Gady said the hub represents about $28 million in water, sewer and utility infrastructure, funded through a DOE grant. A presentation by the ADC suggests that the project has cost upwards of $120 million since the purchase of the land in 2012. "About 40% of all crops grown never make it to market," Gady said. "When it comes to the farmer's market or retail, you want to to look for the homecoming court, the beautiful fruit, the beautiful vegetables, but there's a place for the rest of us not on the homecoming court. This gives an opportunity for the bell peppers to go into chili, to go onto pizza ... and it's a huge economic boost for our farmers and our food distributors." According to a project website, the hub is anticipated to be fully completed in 2029, although individual components of the hub could go online sooner. For example, the high-pressure processing facility has a completion date of Sept. 2026.

State leaders break ground on new Central Oʻahu agriculture and food hub KITV Gil Cano November 14, 2025 Original Article WAHIAWĀ, Hawaiʻi (Island News) -- State leaders broke ground Friday on a new agriculture and food hub in Wahiawā, a project aimed at boosting local food production and reducing Hawaiʻi’s reliance on imports. The event, held in Whitmore Village, featured remarks from First Lady Jaime Kanani Green, Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz and other state officials. A blessing was performed before the ceremony, and local vendors showcased products that the hub is designed to support. The Central Oʻahu Agriculture and Food Hub is part of a statewide effort to increase locally sourced meals in public schools and expand the market for Hawaiʻi farmers and food producers. Officials say the project is expected to help feed keiki, create jobs and give farmers the infrastructure they need to grow and scale their businesses. First Lady Jaime Kanani Green thanked lawmakers for setting statewide goals for local food sourcing, saying the hub will help Hawaiʻi move closer to meeting them. “Mahalo to our legislators, not only for their vision calling for 30% of locally sourced school meals by 2030 and aiming for 50% locally procured food by 2050, but also for providing the resources we need for the infrastructure like this food hub to achieve our goals,” Green said. “We can create local jobs, pathways for our students, help expand exports — so many compounding effects that will revitalize the community,” Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz said. The hub is also intended to help reduce dependence on imported foods by supporting more locally grown fruits, vegetables and value-added products. Speakers at the event said they hope the project will inspire innovation and strengthen rural communities statewide.

South Maui to receive $3.2 million to help control deer The Maui News Gary Kubota February 17, 2025 Original Article Gov. Josh Green has released $3.2 million in capital improvements to design and construct more fencing along the slopes of South Maui to control the overpopulation of axis deer. State Sen. Angus McKelvey said the funding is a powerful demonstration of responsiveness and commitment to safeguarding the land and future of South Maui. The overpopulation of deer was cited as one of the reasons South Maui saw increased flooding in recent months. “This moment sends a strong message to the people of South Maui that the governor and his administration understands the urgency and are committed to expediting the resources needed to tackle the flooding crisis from mauka to makai,” McKelvey said. He said that the unchecked spread of axis deer has led to severe agricultural losses and increased the risk of flooding due to overgrazing, which weakens soil stability. The lawmaker who represents South Maui and West Maui explained that the fencing initiative is part of a broader strategy to enhance conservation efforts and long-term sustainability in the region. According to McKelvey, the funding was secured through the combined efforts of a number of legislators including Reps. Terez Amato and Kyle Yamashita and state Sens. Lynn DeCoite and Donovan M. Dela Cruz. In the past, fencing has been put in downslope of Haleakala as well as horizontally to limit the deer migration and make it easier to cull their numbers. Maui ranchers and farmers say the deer population has caused losses in crops and a lack of forage in unfenced lands amounting to millions of dollars. Some Kula farmers say deer continue to appear in large numbers near the Naalae Road area and often graze around the Kula Hospital. Upcountry Farmers Market owner Neal Coshever said he’s continuing to see large numbers of deer while driving on Calasa Road, including the park below the Kula Fire Station. “I haven’t seen a significant amount of reduction,” Coshever said. A state program offers a dollar amount for each deer killed and has helped ranchers and farmers to reduce the deer numbers and provide some money for fence repairs and the installation of deer fencing. The state Division of Forestry and Wildlife said in November that the deer population on Maui was estimated at 34,000, significantly less than their numbers were years ago. Axis deer were brought to the Hawaiian Islands from India in late 1867 as a gift to King Kamehameha V and released on Maui in 1959.

A Revolving Door For Mentally Ill? Lawmakers Question Diversion Program Civil Beat Caitlin Thompson October 31, 2025 Original Article Lawmakers are expressing concern that a law meant to keep people with mental illness accused of minor crimes from languishing in jail is instead trapping some people in a revolving door at the Hawaiʻi State Hospital without meaningful treatment. In a letter sent earlier this month to state Department of Health Director Kenneth Fink, 11 senators cited Civil Beat’s reporting on the law and asked the department for detailed information on how Act 26 has been implemented and whether it is actually helping people get lasting help. They also ask the department to consider whether changes to the law are needed to prevent people from being readmitted over and over again. Investigation : Hawaiʻi Law Is Diverting Mentally Ill From Jail — But Not Getting Them Help The senators, who include Health and Human Services Chair Joy San Buenaventura and Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads, expressed support for programs meant to improve outcomes for people with mental illness in the criminal justice system, but questioned whether this five-year-old law has been effective. “One example from the article is a 61-year old man described as homeless who had been sent to the state hospital for a determination of his mental fitness a staggering twenty-two times in a five-year period,” the letter says. Introduced in 2020, Act 26 started out as part of a broader effort to reform the way jails had become de facto mental health treatment centers and to get mentally ill residents accused of petty crimes into community treatment programs. By the time it passed, however, the measure focused primarily on the process for determining whether people with mental illness arrested for low-level crimes have the mental capacity to stand trial. In the past, the process dragged on so long that people were held at the state hospital for longer than the maximum sentence for the charges they faced, which for a petty misdemeanor, is 30 days. Act 26 shortened this timeline from three months to seven days, although lawmakers increased that to 14 days last year. If people facing non-violent petty misdemeanor charges can’t be deemed fit to stand trial within two weeks, they are discharged from the hospital and their case is dropped. More than 150 people were readmitted to the state hospital on petty misdemeanor charges between July 2024 and June 2025, with some admitted half a dozen or more times. About half of those readmitted were back in the hospital within four months, Civil Beat found. In the letter, lawmakers asked the health department to provide detailed information about nearly a dozen areas of concern, including whether patients could be held in less restrictive facilities, what happens when someone is discharged from the state hospital after being found mentally unfit and whether the hospital takes steps to ensure they continue to receive medical care once they leave. Lawmakers also asked health officials to explain whether the state hospital can obtain a court or administrative order for treatment over a patient’s objections and provide data on the number of people who are evaluated for involuntary treatment programs that would enable the hospital to hold them longer. “If they’re not fit to proceed, the court cases drop. And that’s the end of it. And that’s why I think you have the revolving door, because these people are mentally ill, they go back out and do the same thing again, surprise, surprise, and then they come back,” Rhoads said. The Department of Health will respond to senators “as soon as possible,” department spokesman Adam LeFebvre said in an email. ‘It’s About Time We Started Looking At It Again’ Generally, Act 26 has had a positive impact, state hospital administrator Mark Linscott told lawmakers at a Health and Human Services Committee briefing in October. But he said patients cycling in and out of the hospital is a persistent challenge. “It’s about time we start looking at it again,” San Buenaventura said during the briefing. “The revolving door referred to by the Civil Beat article may continue unless hopefully we could have some solutions going forward.” The mandate to release people within 14 days has led to people being discharged without having received much treatment, according to experts at the state hospital and service providers working with people with mental illness. Many patients also struggle with addiction, and the short stays may not be enough to detox. In the letter sent to the health department director, lawmakers are asking whether the current timeline is sufficient to provide people with meaningful treatment. People leaving the hospital are often met with few resources and insufficient options for community-based treatment. It’s not just Act 26 that needs to be reexamined, San Buenaventura said. She wants to take a closer look at other factors, like whether the broader strategy of jail diversion for people with mental illness is working. “I don’t think that it’s Act 26 by itself that is causing this revolving door,” she said. It’s about “ensuring that there is stabilizing treatment that’s out in the community.” Lawmakers also want to know whether the health department is fully utilizing programs that would allow them to take a more forceful approach. The hospital can’t hold someone involuntarily without a court or administrative order if they are not deemed a danger to themselves or others, nor can doctors medicate a patient against their will. But there are initiatives like Assisted Community Treatment, which allows someone to obtain a court order to force a person who is refusing medication into treatment. The program is controversial because it involves people being medicated against their will. Proponents, however, say that it is key to interrupting the revolving door at the state hospital, and lawmakers want to know whether it’s a viable option that the state hospital uses. Even then, there’s the problem of bedspace and a lack of alternatives. Hawaiʻi is heavily reliant on its state hospital for patients with mental illness who are facing charges. “That, I think, is the next big problem: where we put people,” Rhoads said. The health department needs to expand other less acute options, “as opposed to funneling all these guys into the state hospital.”

Hawai’i Pharmacists Association and APhA celebrate passage of landmark legislation American Pharmacists Association July 2, 2025 Original Article HONOLULU and WASHINGTON, DC — The Hawai’i Pharmacists Association (HPhA) and the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) are proud to announce the passage of SB 1245 , an historic advancement that will recognize pharmacists as health care providers under Hawai’i law and ensure health plan reimbursement for services they provide within their scope of practice. Signed into law by Gov. Josh Green, this legislation mandates that beginning July 1, 2026, private and public health plans in Hawai’i must reimburse licensed pharmacists for covered health services of contracted pharmacists when those services are delivered within pharmacists’ scope of practice. “This is a major victory for patients and for the pharmacy profession in Hawai’i,” said Corrie Sanders, executive director of the Hawai’i Pharmacists Association. “Hawai’i faces a significant shortage of healthcare providers, particularly in rural and underserved communities. By recognizing pharmacists as providers and enabling reimbursement for the essential services they already deliver, this legislation strengthens the healthcare workforce, expands access to timely care across all islands, and allows pharmacists to ensure our patients and ‘ohana receive the level of care they deserve.” Hawai’i, like many states, faces a shortage of physicians and other primary care providers. SB 1245 addresses this critical gap by leveraging the accessibility and clinical expertise of pharmacists, who are often the most accessible health care professionals in their communities. The law empowers pharmacists to sustainably provide a wide range of services, including chronic disease management, immunizations, point-of-care testing, and medication therapy management, with the assurance that they can be reimbursed when those services are covered for other providers. “This legislation marks a turning point for health care access in Hawai’i,” said Michael D. Hogue, PharmD, FAPhA, FNAP, FFIP, executive vice president and CEO of APhA. “Pharmacists have always delivered high-quality care, but outdated reimbursement rules limited what they could sustainably offer. With SB 1245 , Hawai’i joins a growing number of states recognizing that pharmacists must be supported as paid providers to keep patients healthier and systems more efficient.” HPhA and APhA extend their gratitude to the legislature, Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, Rep. Scot Matayoshi, Gov. Green, and the many health care advocates who supported this effort.

Free Wifi Now Offered at Molokai Airport The Molokai Dispatch May 8, 2025 Original Article Hawaii Department of Transportation News Release The Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) recently announced that free Wi-Fi is now available at Molokai Airport (MKK). Service through Hawaiian Telcom began April 17 and is available throughout the terminal. The fiber optic network infrastructure was installed through HDOT’s HI Connect pilot project, which improved broadband infrastructure along roads in Kalihi, Puna, Ka‘u, Nanakuli, Wai‘anae, Makaha and Kapa‘a. The Hawaiian Telcom 1G fiber network can accommodate video streaming and downloads by multiple users. “Air travel is a necessity for Molokai residents to access medical care and other resources,” said Senator Lynn DeCoite. “Access to free internet while waiting for flights can help make these essential trips more efficient and comfortable. I appreciate HDOT working to connect Molokai Airport.” “Wi-Fi has been available at our larger, busier airports since 2018,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen. “Offering this free service at Molokai Airport is part of our efforts to make meaningful, cost-effective improvements at our facilities for local travelers.” MKK travelers can connect to the network through a series of simple steps: turn on Wi-Fi; open your device’s Wi-Fi settings; make sure Wi-Fi is enabled; connect to the Airport Wi-Fi SSID; look for the official airport network name (SSID) in the list of available networks; “HI Connect Free Wi-Fi,” tap or click to connect; wait for the Captive Portal Page to open. After connecting, a browser window or pop-up should automatically appear. If it doesn’t, open a web browser like Safari, Chrome, or Edge, and go to any website. You should be redirected to the Wi-Fi login/acceptance page. Then, just accept the terms and conditions, review the terms of service and privacy policy, tap or click accept, and confirm connection. Once accepted, the captive portal will usually redirect you to a confirmation or welcome page. You can now browse the internet.

Half Of Hawaiʻi Inmates Leave Prison Without The IDs They Need To Start Over Honolulu Civil Beat Caitlin Thompson February 24, 2025 Original Article Simoné Nanilei Kamaunu left prison in 2022 with a $500 check and no way to cash it. She’d lost her social security card before she was locked up, her driving permit had expired and her prison identification card didn’t count for anything outside of the Women’s Community Correctional Center. Without a state ID, she couldn’t open a bank account to deposit the money she had gotten from a nonprofit for completing her GED while incarcerated for 16 months years for a parole violation. “It’s been super hard because I’ve gotten out with nothing, no social security card, no nothing,” she said. “I had to hit the ground running and hustle myself.” The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is supposed to help incarcerated people obtain identification. But more than seven years after the state Legislature passed a law requiring that it do so, the number of people leaving prisons with the documents they need to function in society has barely budged. Almost half of people released from Hawaiʻi’s state prisons between November 2023 and October 2024 did not have a valid state ID, according to data the corrections department reported to the Legislature. About 95% of people released from jail during that same period did not have one. Tommy Johnson, the department’s director, says the inmates are partly to blame. “It’s not from our lack of trying; you can’t make them fill out the documents for a card,” Johnson told Civil Beat. “A lot of the folks don’t want to provide that information to us.” Johnson also noted that the numbers may be inaccurate because people might not have had their IDs with them when they were arrested, and those documents are being held for them by someone on the outside. He also cited challenges coordinating with other government agencies and obtaining the equipment necessary to collect inmates’ photos and signatures for their IDs. It took Kamaunu about three months after her release to get the identification she needed to cash her $500 check, just in time to buy Christmas presents for her baby. “The prison system,” said Kamaunu, “is setting us up to fail.” The slow implementation of the law means that every year hundreds of people are being released without the identification they need to find work, secure housing or open a bank account. More than a dozen states have laws requiring corrections agencies to help inmates obtain identification prior to release. Hawaiʻi’s 2017 law requires the corrections department to inform people in prisons and jails that they can receive help getting identification documents while behind bars, including a state ID, birth certificate and social security card. Corrections staff ask during intake and assessment whether they would like that assistance, Johnson said. But implementation has been full of false starts , stymied by slow-moving conversations between government agencies and a drawn-out process to acquire equipment. It took several years for the corrections department to work set up a game plan and sign the necessary agreements with the Department of Transportation, the Department of Customer Service and the Social Security Administration, said Johnson. Hawaiʻi requires that people apply in person for a driver’s license or state ID — and that’s a big problem for prisoners. It wasn’t until June 2022 — more than four years after the law went into effect — that Halawa Correctional Facility became the first prison to process inmates’ applications for state IDs with a machine on site. In the first year and a half after that machine was installed, the department helped 150 people get IDs, according to a report that the corrections department sent to the Legislature in December 2023. Since then, the agency also has released more than 750 people from all the state prisons without one, according to data that the department sent to lawmakers in 2023 and 2024. In 2022, the Legislature appropriated $100,000 to put ID machines in four other correctional facilities. So far, none have been purchased. Inmates at prisons other than Halawa Correctional Facility can’t get their IDs until they are released or go on furlough, at which point they can leave the facility to go to a DMV appointment. Johnson said the department hasn’t been able to buy the machines for the past few years because it had to wait for The Department of Customer Services’ Division of Motor Vehicles to upgrade its system. “The satellite machines we purchase have to be the exact same with the same specifications as the city and county so the machines can talk to each other for processing ID cards,” he said. Until then, Johnson said the department is helping people get other documents like a birth certificate or social security card, which they’ll need to apply for an ID once they’re released. But there’s been a delay in getting people social security cards too. More than half of the people who left prisons between November 2022 and October 2024 didn’t have one, according to data presented to the Legislature. It wasn’t until early last year that the corrections department signed an agreement with the Social Security Administration to help incarcerated people get social security cards. Johnson attributed the slow process to “hiccups” dealing with the federal agency that lasted two and a half years. The local office was closed during the pandemic and faced a long backlog of work when it reopened, allowing inmates to start getting cards last fall. Tsofit Ohayon entered the Women’s Community Corrections Center with nothing — no driver’s license, no social security card, no documents to prove that, despite being born in Israel, she’s an American citizen. Ohayon knew it would be complicated to get those documents, and she soon realized she wasn’t going to get enough help while she was incarcerated for credit card theft and related charges in 2020. Despite her best efforts, she wasn’t able to get her proof of citizenship until she was on furlough. That set back her timeline for getting other documents that she needed. She wanted to tutor students in math at the community college where she’s now getting an engineering degree. But until she got her ID, she wasn’t able to work. “I was very irritated because I knew that I was going to come out exactly in the same predicament as I went in,” said Ohayon. “I’m going to have to figure out a way to move mountains to get these people to do anything.” Johnson said that part of the reason people leave prison without an ID card is because it takes a long time to get all the necessary supporting documents, like a birth certificate or social security card, especially if they’re starting from scratch. “This process takes months and months,” he said. That means some people start applications while in prison but don’t actually get their IDs until they leave. A proposed bill in the Legislature is meant to address that problem. Senate Bill 224 — introduced by 10 lawmakers including Senators Brandon Elefante, Henry Aquino and Stanley Chang — would launch the process of getting vital documents earlier in a person’s incarceration. The current law requires the agency to start the application when someone is a year or less out from their release. Senate Bill 224 requires that the department begin working on obtaining inmates’ identification as soon as possible. The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation supports the legislation, but Johnson said his staff is already doing this in the state prisons. However, he said starting earlier in jails won’t make much of a difference, since most people are there for weeks, rather than years. That isn’t sufficient time, according to Johnson. “It’s a really tough nut to crack to try to get them ID cards,” he said. “There’s very little we can do with respect to trying to get it. We can get the application in, and then we need a forwarding address where to send the document when it comes in.” For people who have been incarcerated, the situation remains frustrating. “Why even pass a law if you guys aren’t following it?” said Kamaunu. “You expect us to have integrity and be on it, but … what kind of example are you leading by?”

Hawaiʻi Shutdown Response: SNAP Recipients To Get $250 Apiece Civil Beat Jeremy Hay Kevin Dayton October 30, 2025 Original Article UPDATE: Two federal judges ruled Friday that the Trump administration must use contingency funds to continue to issue food stamps during the government shutdown. Government assistance programs launched by Hawaiʻi to support SNAP recipients and other residents impacted by the shutdown will continue regardless, officials said after the rulings. Hawaiʻi residents whose November food stamps have been halted by the federal shutdown are eligible to get $250 each from the state through an emergency program Gov. Josh Green announced Thursday. The $42.2 million initiative will fill a gap in food stamp benefits caused by the shutdown and the Trump administration’s decision to not use contingency funds to cover November costs for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The Hawaiʻi Food Assistance Program will give $250 to every current food stamp recipient in the state — automatically placing the funds on existing SNAP debit cards by Nov. 14. A family of four that has been getting SNAP would receive $1,000, Green said during a media briefing at his State Capitol office. “This will help people because we do not have any guarantees right now that the federal government is going to open again this week, next week, we just don’t know,” Green said. “And a lot of people are going to be hungry if they don’t get their SNAP benefits.” Hawaiʻi SNAP recipients received an average of $343 a month in September, according to the state Department of Human Services. About $58 million in SNAP benefits are delivered statewide to recipients’ automatic debit cards starting the first of each month. Almost 162,000 Hawaiʻi residents get monthly SNAP benefits, Green said. In a sign of how the shutdown is squeezing people, registration for a Hawaiʻi Foodbank emergency food distribution scheduled for Friday in Waipahu hit its limit in three hours after 400 households signed up. Other distributions are scheduled and the Foodbank plans to add more. ‘Kuleana Awakens The Mana’ The emergency measure — one of three special funds formed in Hawaiʻi to soften financial blows caused by the monthlong shutdown — will take effect even if the impasse in Washington, D.C., ends and SNAP benefits quickly resume, Green said. “Even if the federal government gets their act together and somehow resolves their differences, we’re going forward with this because people are really hurting and it’s been a tough couple months,” Green said. The assistance fund is financed by $28 million from the state’s general fund and $13 million in excess funds for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or TANF, the federally funded, state-managed cash aid program for low-income residents. The state has banked more than $400 million in unused TANF funds over the years. A separate $100 million Hawaiʻi Relief Fund announced Wednesday will help eligible residents with dependent children under 18 make housing and utility payments. That program is open to any eligible resident, including people whose paychecks have been interrupted by the shutdown, not only people who get SNAP. To qualify, a household has to also be below 300% of the federal poverty line; for a family of four, that’s an annual income of just under $111,000. The relief fund is entirely financed by TANF funds. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has also announced a $6.1 million emergency fund for Native Hawaiians affected by the shutdown, including people who get SNAP. About 47,000 Native Hawaiians receive SNAP benefits, according to OHA, and about 5,000 of the nearly 25,000 federal employees in the state are Native Hawaiian. OHA Board of Trustees Chair Kaialiʻi Kahele, who also spoke at Thursday’s press conference, evoked the memory of Twinkle Borge, a Hawaiian activist and homeless advocate who led a large community in Waiʻanae and died in 2024. “Our beloved Twinkle Borge, a fierce advocate for our houseless community, once shared, ‘Kuleana awakens the mana inside us,'” Kahele said. “That’s what we’re seeing today, people awakening their mana, answering the call here to serve.” Full details about that fund, including eligibility and application guidelines, will be announced soon, he said. Program Could Be Extended Green said the emergency food assistance money will benefit the entire state and suggested the program could be extended if necessary. “The monies are going to be spent in our local businesses, in grocery stores and small mom and pop shops almost immediately,” he said. “If we have to, we will come back. We’re not going to let anyone suffer.” The Green administration has also directed $2 million to the Hawaiʻi Foodbank to help support and boost its operations statewide. “I hope to God we’re not still in a shutdown come 2026, because that will change everything for us.” - Gov. Josh Green Green’s move to commit millions to provide emergency funding for SNAP recipients does not include an extra $200 million that state lawmakers set aside this year as a hedge against federal budget cuts. Green would need an appropriation by the Legislature to spend any of that money — which is less likely now because of lower than projected tax revenues — and he said he is not inclined to call the Legislature back to the Capitol for a special session this year. Instead, the relief money comes from state general funds that were appropriated to state departments for various uses but were withheld by the Green administration as a reserve in case it was needed later. “The amount of monies we needed was manageable within our budget,” Green told reporters. “We certainly have adequate monies across departments to carve out this $28,567,000. So, we didn’t need to have a special session, we were able to work it out just in collegial discussions.” Green also observed the Legislature will be back in regular session in about 10 weeks, and can take any further emergency actions that are necessary then. “We’re committed to getting people through the holidays with this resource,” he said, “and then we’ll have the Legislature back in full force, and that empowers us in all sorts of additional ways to bring large amounts of extra resources.” “I hope to God we’re not still in a shutdown come 2026, because that will change everything for us,” he said. Hawaii has joined about 24 states that have sued the Trump administration to force it to pay out November SNAP benefits. That lawsuit is still being heard in federal court. How To Apply For State Aid For more information about either the Hawaiʻi Food Assistance Program or the Hawaiʻi Relief Fund, call 211, a hotline run by Aloha United Way. Green said 250 people are staffing the line from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The human services department is partnering with Catholic Charities Hawaiʻi to manage the relief fund and application process on Oʻahu, the county of Hawaiʻi and Kauaʻi. The nonprofit partner for Maui County is Maui Economic Opportunity. Aid payments will go directly to utility companies and landlords or lenders, in the case of mortgages — and will not affect income eligibility for other benefit programs. Applicants will need to provide documents including government-issued identification, proof of income and lease or mortgage statements. For more information, Oʻahu, Big Island and Kauaʻi residents can also reach Hawaiʻi Relief Fund staff at 808-521-4357, extension 1, or hrp.mail@catholiccharitieshawaii.org . To apply online, go here. In Maui County, call 808-243-4357 for information, email Housing.utility@meoinc.org or go to this website. To apply online go here. Civil Beat’s reporting on economic inequality is supported by the Hawaiʻi Community Foundation as part of its work to build equity for all through the CHANGE Framework; and by the Cooke Foundation.