Senators Oppose National Registry
It’s called The Protect American Families Act, and it comes from U.S. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and eight other senators. The legislation would block the establishment of a registry of people based on...
View ArticleWanted: Ethics, Campaign Panels
Care about good government and fair elections? The Judicial Council is seeking applicants to fill an upcoming vacancy on the Hawaii State Ethics Commission and to fill vacancies on the Campaign...
View ArticleNew Consumer Advocate Named
Dean Nishina has been named executive director for Department of Commerce and Consumer Affair’s Division of Consumer Advocacy. He has been serving as acting executive director since Sept. 1, following...
View ArticleOHA: A ‘Blistering Wart’ That Must Do Better
The recent controversies at the Office of Hawaiian Affairs with trustees suing each other and the firing of CEO Crabbe is deeply embarrassing and troubling to not only Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiians)...
View ArticleYour Guide To Tracking The 2017 Hawaii Legislature
Tracking what’s going on during a session of the Hawaii Legislature can be daunting, especially for the uninitiated. Lawmakers hold hundreds of hearings on thousands of bills that often change...
View ArticleReader Rep: Don’t Let The Public’s Business Be Done Behind Our Backs
When Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives began a new session last week by sneakily deciding to impale the chamber’s ethics watchdog as their first order of business, they ran into a...
View ArticleKakaako Shelters Work To Move Homeless Into Housing Faster
The state’s newest homeless shelter opened its doors Sept. 28 with the intent to transition its clients into permanent housing within 90 days. Three months later, the Kakaako Family Assessment Center...
View ArticleIs HPD Chief’s Departure Just The Beginning Of An ‘Ugly’ Mess?
Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha may have agreed to retire amid a growing corruption scandal that has embroiled his family and tarnished the reputation of his department. But he’s far from off the...
View ArticleHirono Acts On Medicare, Medicaid
There was an effort to block major changes to safety net programs in the U.S. Congress Monday, but it fell short of the necessary votes. Sen. Mazie Hirono, Democrat of Hawaii, Sen. Joe Donnelly...
View ArticleSchatz Named Chief Deputy Whip
Senate Democratic leadership on Monday appointed U.S. Sens. Brian Schatz (D-HI) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) to new roles in the caucus’s leadership team. They will serve as chief deputy whips, “leadership...
View ArticleHPD Chief Could Get A Lucrative Cash Payout Along With Pension
Although he’s the target of an ongoing federal corruption investigation, Honolulu Police Chief Louis Kealoha is expected to receive a substantial cash payout as part of a retirement agreement being...
View ArticleIt Actually Happened — Now What?
I, like may others, will never forget where I was when Donald Trump reached and surpassed 270 electoral votes. As I watched the numbers roll out, all I was thinking was: How is this happening? Everyone...
View ArticleWho Is Betsy DeVos?
After President-elect Donald Trump tapped Betsy DeVos to become the head of the U.S. Department of Education, her name has spurred a great deal of conversation within the K-12 education community. Much...
View ArticleNew Kakaako Park Rules Could Keep Homeless Away
The state agency overseeing Kakaako redevelopment has approved new rules for its parks, including areas that have frequently been the sites of homeless encampments. The updated rules were approved by...
View ArticleForty-Eight States Have An Airport Authority — Why Not Hawaii?
When your state is one of only two to either do or not do something, you should always ask why. Take the establishment of an independent airport authority. Hawaii and Alaska are the only two states...
View ArticleDenby Fawcett: What Women Fear Losing In A Trump Presidency
Editor’s note: Coming Wednesday and Thursday, Civil Beat’s new Maui columnist, Tad Bartimus, writes about Teresa Shook, the Hana woman whose Facebook post ignited a national movement and the upcoming...
View ArticleA $22 Minimum Wage?
Hawaii’s minimum wage increased from $8.50 per hour to $9.25 on Jan. 1. It’s slated to jump to $10.10 a year from now. Businesses and business advocates complain that the higher wage is a burden while...
View ArticleCan More Be Done To Prevent School Employee Misconduct?
Compared to two years ago, the Hawaii Department of Education has fewer cases of employee misconduct to investigate. In December 2014, there were 63 cases pending in which DOE employees had been placed...
View ArticleACLU Calls For Federal Probe Of Hawaii Prison Conditions
Citing severe overcrowding at the state’s dilapidated prisons and jails, the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii has filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department, calling for a federal...
View ArticleCity Council Members ‘Leery’ Of HPD Chief’s Retirement Deal
Don’t cut the deal, at least not yet. That’s the message Honolulu City Councilwoman Kymberly Pine had Tuesday for the Honolulu Police Commission, which is considering a lucrative retirement package for...
View Article