Kokua Line: Is Postal Service Christmas mailer correct? Star Advertiser Christine Donnelly December 3, 2024 Original Article Question : Are the Christmas ship-by dates in the Postal Service mailer correct? I thought Hawaii was earlier. Answer : You are referring to the fold-out card titled “Delivering infinite moments of joy all season long,” which was produced at U.S. Postal Service headquarters with mainland customers in mind but also mailed to Hawaii customers. “In this case, the Priority Express Mail suggested mailing date is actually the same for mainland and Hawaii customers—Dec. 20. But our suggested mailing date for First-Class and Priority Mail for our Hawaii customers, which are the services that most local folks use, is Dec. 18 rather than the Dec. 19 date suggested in the mail piece,” Duke Gonzales, a postal service spokesperson, said Monday in an email. The mail-by dates aren’t hard deadlines for shipping to the mainland, “just suggested dates to give Christmas mail and packages the best chances of reaching their destinations before Dec. 25,” he said. Gonzales issued a news release Monday with other information about holiday shipping: >> Self-service ship and mail centers: Customers can use these kiosks to ship packages, buy stamps and handle other tasks without seeing a mail clerk. They generally are open 24/7 at all locations except for Mililani and Waipahu. Kiosks are available at the Kapahulu Safeway and at these 16 Hawaii post offices: Aina Haina, Downtown, Hawaii Kai, Hilo Main, Honolulu Main/Airport, Kailua, Kailua-Kona, Kaneohe, Kihei, Lahaina, Makiki, Mililani, Waialae- Kahala, Waikiki, Wailuku and Waipahu. >> Priority Mail flat-rate shipping: The box itself is free, while shipping up to 70 pounds to a domestic location costs $19.30 in a medium box and $22.80 in a large box. The large box holds 50% more (with the same 70-pound weight limit). >> Overseas military: Up to 70 pounds can be shipped in the military large flat-rate box to most APO and FPO locations for $26. >> Online service: Use usps.com, where you can create an online account to order free boxes, buy stamps, pay for and print shipping labels (Click-N-Ship) and participate in Operation Santa, the annual program that has donors fulfill children’s Christmas wishes. With Click-N-Ship you can have the post office come pick up your outgoing packages at no extra charge, or drop off the prepaid packages at a post office counter without standing in line. >> Peak days: “We expect customer traffic at our post offices to accelerate beginning the week of Dec. 9, and that the week of Dec. 16 will be our busiest week of the season,” the news release said. Q : How long is the new Leeward bike path? A : The 3.5-mile Leeward Bikeway follows the previous Oahu Railway and Land Co. path and “extends the Pearl Harbor Historic Trail, connecting through the West Loch Community Shoreline Path, to create an 11-mile path that wraps around Pearl Harbor and into Ewa Beach, culminating at the Hawaiian Railway Society’s train yard,” according to the Hawaii Bicycling League. Q : Regarding bird flu, can that spread to feral cats? A : Yes, and to pet cats, too, and to many other mammals, wild, stray (feral) or domesticated. “Although bird flu viruses mainly infect and spread among wild migratory water birds and domestic poultry, some bird flu viruses can infect and spread to other animals as well. Bird flu viruses have in the past been known to sometimes infect mammals that eat (presumably infected) birds or poultry,” according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In North America, H5N1 bird flu viruses have been detected in cats, dogs, goat kids (juvenile goats) and dairy cows, the agency says. It’s rare for people to catch bird flu from an infected animal, but it is possible, “especially if there is prolonged and unprotected exposure to the animal,” the CDC says. Read more at 808ne.ws/3ZhX9X1 Opens in a new tab (on the CDC website) and 808ne.ws/4fS9k3u Opens in a new tab (on the state Department of Health website).

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.

The role of regional kitchens in feeding Hawaiʻi’s students Big Island Now Big Island Now Staff December 6, 2024 Original Article The Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism says an estimated 85% to 90% percent of the state’s food is grown, processed and imported from the U.S. mainland, which is then delivered to school kitchens. It’s a costly, less fresh and far less sustinable food model for the Hawaiʻi Department of Education, which serves 100,000-plus students a day — or about 18 million meals per school year — through its meals program. What if there was a way to change that? The Hawaiʻi Agricultural Foundation recently hosted its “Eat, Think, Drink 27: Regional Kitchens — Transforming Ag Through Strategic Investments” event on O‘ahu to discuss that issue and more. State House Committee on Agriculture and Food Systems Chairwoman Rep. Kirstin Kahaloa of Kona, state Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz of Oʻahu and state Senate Committee on Education Chairwoman Sen. Michelle Kidani of Oʻahu attended. Kahaloa and Dela Cruz were also part of a panel of state and industry leaders in local food production to talk about the significance of the role of regional kitchens in sustainably feeding Hawaiʻi and its students. Keynote speaker Dela Cruz presented about the state’s Nourishing Hawaiʻi’s Future initiative, aimed at increasing local food production and creating locally sourced meals for students through regional kitchens. State Superintendent of Schools Keith Hayashi also was part of the discussion. “The answer to both reducing our dependence on imported food and feeding our students locally is the concept of a regional kitchen,” said Dela Cruz. “Building a future based on resources already in place and using them to create a tangible system of local agriculture, regional kitchens and [Hawai‘i] Department of Education schools is a feasible solution that will create food security and contribute to economic development.” Regional kitchens are facilities used to produce meals or individual ingredients before they are sent to different locations to serve to consumers. This model has been successfully adopted through school districts in Washington state and California and already similarly implemented in the centralized kitchen of Zippy’s Restaurants in Waipiʻo, Oʻahu. Strategic investments in regional kitchens have shown to help local farmers scale production by increasing market access and leveraging the power of public procurement. Regional kitchens use local farm products to prepare meals at public schools, said Kahaloa. “This model moves locally grown and raised products from our farms, to processing facilities, to the regional kitchens and lastly to our public schools that incorporate these ʻono grinds on our keiki’s plates,” said the Big Island lawmaker. “Students will be nourished when they can eat food grown from their communities.” Hayashi said his department continues to work toward the state’s goal of incorporating at least 30% locally sourced foods in school meals by 2030 and 50% by 2050. A highlight of the event included a menu created by four state Department of Education alumni, who are now chefs, and current students using locally sourced ingredients. Hayashi said the state Department of Education is grateful for the opportunities the event provided Hawaiʻi students to learn from alumni and professionals in the food and agriculture industry. “Including [Hawaiʻi Department of Education] in the process provides nutritious school meals for our keiki while securing local food production,” said Kidani. “It was wonderful to see alumni now as skilled chefs contributing their creations and showcasing locally grown ingredients alongside our current culinary students. Working with alumni to serve healthy, local meals will fuel our students’ success in the classroom and have a lasting impact.”

Housing, clean energy bills pass key Hawaii legislative committee Star Advertiser Dan Nakaso February 26, 2025 Original Article The critical state Senate Ways and Means Committee has moved out four bills on the eve of next week’s deadline to keep bills alive, including one that would provide more state funding to improve and upgrade low-income housing projects. Collectively, the four bills that passed the Senate’s finance committee would address some of Hawaii’s “most urgent needs during this legislative session,” Ways and Means Chair Donovan Dela Cruz (D, Mililani-Wahiawa-Whitmore Village) said in a statement. “Through these measures, we are investing in Hawai‘i’s future by building a more resilient, self-sustaining economy and a higher quality of life for our residents,” Dela Cruz said. Legislators in both the House and Senate are working to move out bills ahead of the March 6 deadline to send bills that originate in the House or Senate to the opposite chamber and keep them alive this session — or essentially kill them by the “crossover” deadline. The bills that passed out of WAM this week are: >> The latest version of SB 65, which would fund repair and maintenance needs for residents in low-income housing projects. The upgrades are just one part of the state’s overall strategy to provide affordable housing for virtually all income levels to help make Hawaii more affordable and stem the exodus of residents leaving for states with lower housing costs. Hawaii needs an estimated 50,000 additional affordable housing units. >> The latest version of SB 125, which would create tax incentives for local farmers and businesses that process local farm products, to help them compete with outside markets. >> The latest version of SB 448, which would help maintain agriculture lands involved in food production, especially in Central Oahu. It would allow the state Agribusiness Development Corp. to preserve the lands for food production. >> The latest version of SB 1269, which would provide funding to the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to look at geothermal energy potential in the neighbor islands — particularly Hawaii island, home to the Puna Geothermal Venture, which generates power from geothermal gas from Kilauea Volcano. Exploring more geothermal energy opportunities would be part of Hawaii’s larger effort to find clean, reliable and cost-effective energy and reach its net-zero carbon emissions goal while providing more affordable power. DBEDT Director James Tokioka said in written support of SB 1260 that “Hawaii’s heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels has historically resulted in some of the highest electricity costs in the nation. “Increasing our geothermal capacity presents a strategic opportunity to enhance grid reliability, reduce dependency on volatile global oil markets, and provide cost-effective energy solutions that benefit both businesses and consumers.” Geothermal energy also has the potential to expand a tech industry that, Tokioka said, could spur “future economic growth, particularly in sectors such as advanced manufacturing and data centers. These industries depend on reliable and affordable electricity to remain competitive. Without a stable energy supply, Hawaii risks losing out on investment opportunities that could otherwise diversify our economy, create high paying jobs, and foster technological innovation.” But Keoni Shizuma opposes expanding geothermal technology. He and others submitted identically worded testimony in opposition that said: “Unlike wind, solar, or wave energy generation, geothermal requires permanent damage and desecration to the environment. The drilling into the ‘aina, once done, can’t be undone. “In Hawaiian culture, the surface of the ground is sometimes seen as a body form of our goddess Papahanaumoku. To drill into the ground would be to desecrate parts of her, while if wind, solar, or even wave energy generation was pursued, all the structures would be temporary and merely sit on the surface (or in the ocean). “I would request that out of respect for Hawaiian cultural values and beliefs, Hawaii not pursue geothermal energy generation. We live in the perfect environment for innovations in renewable energy technology. Let Hawaii become a leader in new techniques and technologies in this field, push forth the field at University of Hawaii, and learn from international leaders of energy technology.” Hawaii County Mayor Kimo Alameda said in his written testimony that the Big Island’s early geothermal efforts have “not yet translated into tangible economic outcomes. Now is the time to take the next step, to see if these resources can be developed to power our economy and benefit our communities.” The bill would ensure safeguards for construction of a future geothermal power plant, Alameda wrote. “This roadmap is designed with clear, measurable benchmarks so that legislators can easily assess whether or not the project is on track. If the benchmarks are met, it will demonstrate that this is a wise investment for the state, with the potential for significant returns in the form of reliable, renewable energy. If the benchmarks are not met, the legislature will have the clarity to redirect funds and efforts elsewhere. This approach ensures that we only continue to invest in geothermal if it proves to be a commercially viable and sustainable solution for Hawaii’s energy future.” The latest version of SB 65 has received no written opposition. Its House companion, House Bill 907, has not been scheduled for a hearing and appears unlikely to cross over to the Senate. In written testimony in support of SB 65, Hakim Ouansafi — executive director of the Hawaii Public Housing Authority — wrote, “The age of Hawaii’s public housing inventory presents significant challenges” to house people that include families that earn less than 30% of the area median income, people with disabilities and kupuna. “Many properties were constructed over 50 years ago and require extensive updates to remain safe and habitable, and the HPHA faces a capital needs backlog of approximately $720 million,” Ouansafi wrote. “Additional funding is urgently needed to address this backlog and to ensure public housing units remain safe, decent and sanitary and available to those who need them most. As the HPHA relies on federal funding for approximately 90% of its operations, and as this funding is tied to unit occupancy, the rehabilitation of vacant units is critical to maximizing federal support. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not subsidize vacant units, and HPHA’s administrative fees to pay staff are also tied to occupancy, compounding the urgency of this work.” Catholic Charities Hawaii wrote in support of increased funding, in part because it will make affordable units available “to house homeless persons and many elders who face homelessness. The HPHA offers the most affordable housing available to the community. Tenants pay only 30% of their incomes for rent. This makes these units affordable even to homeless persons, seniors struggling with limited income, and very low-income families. However, many units cannot be occupied due to health and safety issues in the units. These units must be brought into shape ASAP to house our state’s residents with extremely limited incomes. “These units are ‘low hanging fruit’ that should be immediately repaired to add them to our inventory of safe and decent housing,” Catholic Charities wrote. “These units do not need to wait years for permits or construction. Legislative funding could make them available very fast compared with funding for new construction.”

Strengthening Hawai'i's Food Security: A Call To Action Honolulu Civil Beat Lauren Zirbel January 28, 2025 Original Article Hawai‘i is the most remote populated place on the planet, making it one of the most vulnerable locations in the world when it comes to food security. The food insecurity crisis has already reached a critical level, with nearly one in three residents experiencing food insecurity. On Hawai‘i island, this rises to an alarming 40%. A single natural disaster or global economic shock could disrupt access to food and essential supplies, underscoring the urgency of addressing our lack of food supply chain resilience. The Legislature must prioritize bold initiatives in 2025 to tackle this crisis before it is too late. One essential step toward resilience is supporting local food production, processing, and storage through targeted tax incentives and streamlined regulations. Proposed legislation focuses on: Establishing refundable tax credits for businesses that invest in food and beverage supply chain infrastructure, such as storage facilities, processing plants and distribution systems. Streamlining permitting processes to reduce unnecessary delays and costs for critical food system projects. These measures are designed to reduce Hawai‘i’s dependence on imports, stabilize food costs and ensure the state is prepared for emergencies. Local businesses already face steep challenges, including some of the highest electricity, shipping and labor costs in the nation. Many companies have opted to shift production to the mainland due to Hawai‘i’s crushing regulatory and tax burdens, leaving the state without critical local food infrastructure. Addressing these barriers will empower local producers, improve food security, and generate economic growth. The vast majority of states already recognize that taxing groceries is regressive. Hawai‘i is one of only a handful of states that still taxes them at the full rate, disproportionately impacting low- and middle-income households. Families here face some of the highest living costs in the nation, and taxing essential items like food only worsens the financial strain. Research highlights the impact: A 1% increase in grocery taxes raises food insecurity among low-income families by 0.84%. States that exempt groceries see lower rates of food insecurity, creating a fairer and more equitable environment for families. Georgia’s elimination of its grocery tax in the 1990s shows the potential economic benefits of such a move. By 2021, the policy had saved households $691.4 million, created over 18,000 jobs, and generated $1.45 billion in economic activity. Hawai‘i can follow this model to provide relief for struggling families while driving economic growth. Food insecurity affects nearly one in three residents in Hawai‘i, with rates climbing to 40% on Hawai‘i Island. Regular delays and high taxes increase operational costs and drive up prices. If the state is serious about doubling local food production, bold action is required. Under the current system, many businesses are opting to leave the state. Eliminating grocery taxes and investing in local food infrastructure would: Provide immediate financial relief to families. Enable local farmers, processors, and distributors to expand their operations. Build a resilient food system capable of withstanding natural disasters and economic disruptions. These critical initiatives are championed by a dedicated coalition of leaders. In the Senate, Sen. Carol Fukunaga, Lynn DeCoite, Stanley Chang, Kurt Fevella, Angus McKelvey and Mike Gabbard are driving these efforts. In the House, Reps. Kirstin Kahaloa, Greggor Ilagan, Rachele Lamosao, Della Au Belatti, Cory Chun, Tina Grandinetti, Jeanné Kapela, Darius Kila, Lisa Kitagawa, Nicole Lowen, Tyson Miyake, Dee Morikawa, Ikaika Olds, Amy Perruso, Mahina Poepoe, Sean Quinlan, Jeanna Takenouchi, Chris Todd, Elle Cochran, Trish La Chica and Adrian Tam are leading the charge. Addressing our food security crisis isn’t just about solving today’s challenges — it’s about safeguarding Hawai‘i’s future. Removing grocery taxes will ease the financial burden on families, while targeted investments in local food infrastructure will make the state more self-sufficient and disaster-ready. These measures reflect the values of aloha and community that define Hawai‘i. Mahalo nui to the legislators who are taking bold steps to create a stronger, healthier Hawai‘i. Your leadership is critical to ensuring that our islands can thrive in the face of future challenges.

Sen. Angus McKelvey: California Fires Mean Bad News For Lahaina Honolulu Civil Beat Richard Wiens February 16, 2025 Original Article Editor’s note: Sen. Angus McKelvey, who chairs the Senate Government Operations Committee, is a key figure in recovery efforts following the August 2023 Maui fires. In an interview edited for length and clarity, he discusses the latest obstacles to rebuilding Lahaina and talks about the government reforms he is backing. You said last May you could imagine two futures for Lahaina: Either taken over by monied outside interests, kind of becoming the Kakaako of West Maui, or restored in a way that brings back many of its former local residents and at least some of the old businesses. Which direction do you think it’s going at this point? Right now, unfortunately, I think we’re headed in the direction of the monied interests. We’re still at that fork of the road, but what’s adding unbelievable pressure is what’s happened in California and now with the federal government. This has completely changed the entire tapestry of reality for the future of Lahaina. How so? You have the issue of interruption or potential loss of future federal monies. You have the fact that you’ve got tariff wars breaking out and counter-tariffs. Most of the construction material — because of the supply chain and other issues — before the Pacific Palisades fire was being bought from China in an effort to try to start rebuilding before the insurance money started lapsing. Now you’ve got the potential tariffs coming in against China, 10% plus the additional 25% from all aluminum and steel. You’ve got potentially a lot of workers who are from the immigrant community, who have now taken off. People who, I guess it was anticipated, would do a lot of the manual, blue-collar laboring. You’ve got all of these issues. And of course, you’ve got Pacific Palisades. After that fire happened, I was hearing about how Maui’s not going to get anything. The contractors are going to sell to LA because they don’t have to put it on a barge and wait, they can go ahead and these guys are paying cash. So we’re going to see a huge diversion, or interruption, of materials coming from the West Coast because of California. Now you’ve got tariffs popping in all over the place for other materials from other places, and meanwhile, the clock is running out on so many people because of their insurance policies requiring them to start substantially rebuilding already, or before this coming August. Time is totally on the side of the outside interests. Last year you were proposing establishing a community district to oversee both state and county restoration efforts. Are you still pushing for that? It was a bill was to create a community development association that would kind of transcend the county and the state. But given everything that’s been going on, especially now with the changes with the federal government, I didn’t reintroduce the bill this year. There are a lot of people in the community who, over the summer, were talking about it. They thought it was an idea that we should keep discussing, and I was contemplating putting together a community working group. But right now, with all of this raining down on everybody’s head, even though I do believe for the future of Lahaina this could be a very powerful tool for community control over this very precious place, it would create so much disruption to an already disruptive and chaotic environment and government system that it could literally push people over the edge. So at this point, this is a discussion best had when we start to get people back into homes, we start working with local partners who are trying to develop housing strictly tailored for Lahaina people. You also proposed that the state acquire all West Maui water districts. Are you still pushing for that? I did put it in again this year. Unfortunately, the bill was deferred in the Water and Land Committee after the hearing. I know that that’s something that the county of Maui has really been pushing. When I introduced the bill last time, there was no discussion going on anywhere about it. But in the meantime, even though the bill failed last year, the Maui County Council has picked it up and is continuing to discuss it on their end. You had also said that it was essential that the state establish concessionary lending programs for the underinsured and mortgage forbearance for fire victims. Where does that stand? None of it happened. I was very disappointed. It was basically the banks won. And this is where special interests do rear their heads, despite efforts to get the executive branch and others to see that this was a way to save people. Now many of the places that are being sold are due to the fact that people can’t continue to pay mortgages, and they’re underinsured, and they’re not going to be able to rebuild. And then, of course, when they do get an insurance check, it goes to the bank for the mortgage. And so you’re watching the situation where now it looks to the people like the best thing to do is to sell, put it on the market. We do have some bills this year to strengthen the community land trust program and establish it statewide. And I’m hoping that the Lahaina Community Land Trust can get some serious support, because they’ve been working on trying to be an alternative for people who feel like they have to sell but they don’t want to sell it to an offshore interest. I’m really bummed that we didn’t do any kind of public financing. And again, the banks don’t want to underwrite these customers. There was a hearing on a bill, and I said, “why do you guys oppose every type of public financing? You don’t want these customers anyway. You won’t give them loans, you won’t give them mortgages. But yet, when the state tries to offer something to them, you come in and kill it.” And this goes for the state, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs. They have, consistently, with their regulated entities, been on the side of the industry, not the consumer. How about the tax surcharge on rental cars to help pay for the northern extension of the Lahaina bypass? That moved, and it’s moving on to the next committee. The bill also calls for diverting the Transient Accommodations Tax to building the bypass, because originally the resort areas were supposed to build the northern terminus of the bypass as the condition of the approval for their developments in Kāʻanapali, and they never did it. By using the TAT in addition to the rental surcharge, we can hopefully get them the money to get the project going, and then we can bond out the rest of it as we get moving. But this is a way to get this critically needed highway going. And I’ve got to tell you, the No. 1 legislative accomplishment of my whole career was working with (then-state Sen.) Roz Baker and Sen. Dan Inouye in getting the original bypass bill. I couldn’t imagine what that night of the fire would have been like had there been no bypass. Let’s move on to a couple of overall government reform measures. You’re the lead introducer of a bill to charge a 5% fee on independent expenditures by non-candidate committees. Where did that idea come from? It’s to help pay for public campaign financing. I absolutely loathe campaign fundraising, everything about it, and to have a public financing system where that is basically off your shoulders and you can run your race, and you know you have the resources to get your message out regardless of everything, is a good thing for democracy. More people run, and we get more talent. Getting talent on the bench has always been a struggle for neighbor island delegations. So having a public financing system, I believe, gives neighbor islanders the ability to run and to serve. The PAC (political action committee) fee is a way we can create more funding for it that we’re not taking from other things. A lot of times these PACs come in and do these independent expenditure committees against candidates who don’t have many resources to compete with anyway, and blow them out of the water. So why not create funding from their activity that these candidates can now use to get their message out? Use a fee on the PACs because the more activity they’re doing in a race, the higher fee they’re going to pay. And that, of course, will create a hopefully robust public financing system. Didn’t this bill get amended to where the proceeds of this PAC fee, if it were adopted, would actually go to the Campaign Spending Commission instead of straight to the public campaign funding? Yeah, I asked for that because they’re going to need to do structural things to effectuate the campaign financing thing far beyond money in the fund, and this way we can go ahead and structurally set up the public financing system. The candidates can report easily and qualify and get the money. We’re trying to give the commission additional resources so they can stand it up and have the flexibility to oversee it. I thought it was a good amendment. Another election measure that you signed on to would establish at least three additional voting centers on Oʻahu so we don’t end up with the long lines and delays that occurred last November. Do you think that’s going to happen? I hope so. It’s going to be an issue of money and staffing. But we can’t have long lines like this repeatedly. People should have the ability to come in and be able to vote at the last minute and not sit in long lines or get turned away or have this chaos. So I hope that we can find the revenue for these additional voting centers. You’re still sold mainly on mail balloting though? Oh yeah, it’s just so much easier and efficient. And, you know, people on Maui really took to it. And of course, most people over there basically vote by mail. But some things have to be discussed going forward because of all those ballots that were considered spoiled because the signatures did not match, and a lot of people said they were never given notification enough to go in and cure them. One issue with the mail-in is you’re signing your signature on the outside of an envelope. If I’m an identity thief, I’m having a field day with that. You were a co-sponsor of a proposal to ask voters to amend the constitution to create a 12-month Legislature . That’s been deferred for now, but the House speaker and Senate president have introduced bills to at least create a task force to study the idea of a year-round Legislature. Do you think that represents progress and that maybe something might happen there? I hope so. I mean, just look at what’s going on this year. You’ve got 30 members of the House who have two or less years’ experience. You’re asking them to literally step into a $4 billion budgetary picture. You’re expected to come in and do this all in the span of the 60 legislative days. Then on top of that, in order to promote more transparency, you’re trying to do 72-hour advance notice of hearings. This is why you’ve had weird stuff happen at the very end of the session, and you wouldn’t have this happening if you had a longer session. I like the idea that you spend the first five months of the session working on the budget bills. And then members can really sink their teeth into the policy stuff. Are you agreeable to the House speaker’s notion that you could still only have 60 days of floor sessions, but just spread them out over the year, with a lot more days for committee hearings and other business? I agree. I think we could do that. And if we had a longer legislative session, we could actually do committee hearings in the community, instead of just all in the square building. That’s one of the advantages of having more time is you could do more outreach types of things. You’re also the lead introducer of a bill to require the selection of heads of public agencies or divisions be done in in open meetings, through an open public process. What’s behind that? We need transparency because that’s a critical decision that’s going to determine the direction and fate and efficacy of these boards and commissions and that should be decided in public. I understand the concern of proprietary, confidential information, but the selection itself should be an open and transparently deliberate process. So that’s what I’m trying to achieve with the bill. It’s come up before and didn’t make it, and so I felt it was worth bringing back again, especially with these very powerful boards that exist and are growing statutorily every year.