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Agricultural declaration forms for passengers flying to Hawaiʻi could go digital due to a measure passed in this year's legislative session. State Sen. Glenn Wakai, who introduced the measure, said the paper forms don't really protect the state from invasive species. The state has been using paper forms since 1950. HPR's Mark Ladao has more.
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The state Campaign Spending Commission has fined former lawmaker and congressional candidate Kaniela Ing $18,000 for 24 counts of campaign spending violations.
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Senate Bill 3202 would allow two accessory dwelling units, or ADUs, to be built on residential properties. Most of the opposition came from lawmakers who represent urban Honolulu.
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It’s the end of the state’s legislative session, and lawmakers have made it clear that invasive species are a top priority. The state Department of Agriculture is receiving substantial support for its invasive species programs and staff.
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State lawmakers appropriated funds for more firefighting equipment and a state fire marshal after the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century ripped through the historic Maui town of Lahaina and exposed shortcomings in the state’s readiness for such flames.
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Measures aiming to improve language access in Hawai‘i passed their final reading in the House and Senate on Wednesday. The bills will head to the governor’s office for final approval.
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The policy, announced by Mayor Richard Bissen and grassroots advocacy group Lahaina Strong, is intended to free up housing for displaced families devastated by the August wildfires. The county will have the authority to enact this policy due to the state Legislature's final approval of Senate Bill 2919.
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The County of Maui filed the complaint saying carriers failed to give proper notification about the widespread cellular service outages during the height of emergency response to the August wildfires.
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Popular measures on energy efficiency and solar permitting died abruptly in their last committees, leading some energy stakeholders to label this session a letdown. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote reports.
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The city wants to build 18,000 affordable housing units by fiscal year 2029, according to its 2023 housing plan, but the availability of land and city funding continue to be two of some of the most expensive obstacles to doing that.
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The Navy wants to reduce how much water is being discharged into Hālawa Stream, but the Hawaiʻi Department of Health is concerned about the lack of monitoring proposed in its plan.
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One of the bills dying in this legislative session would have allowed Hawaiian Electric to issue ratepayer-backed bonds — a process called securitization — to pay for wildfire mitigation efforts. State Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole spoke with The Conversation about the measure, as well as HECO's future.