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A controversial measure to keep Hawaiian Electric in good financial standing after the Maui wildfires has died in the state Senate. The bill would have allowed HECO to issue ratepayer-backed bonds to fund wildfire mitigation efforts.
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Counties will likely have more control over short-term rentals after this legislative session. A measure that would give counties more regulatory power over short-term rentals passed out of conference. It’s one of the last major hurdles of the legislative process.
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Kim Coco Iwamoto spoke to The Conversation about the revenue the state would lose from passing HB 2653. She also shared her perspective as an heir to Roberts Hawaii, her family's tour and transportation company.
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While the state is still dealing with the aftermath of the Maui wildfires, the state legislature is considering a measure to address property damage in the case of future catastrophic wildfires.The measure would allow stakeholders to pay into a wildfire relief fund that would compensate property owners in the case of another wildfire.
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An acute housing shortage hitting fire survivors on Maui is squeezing out residents even as they try to overcome the loss of loved ones, their homes and their community. The situation is prompting state lawmakers to consider giving counties the authority to phase out vacation rentals.
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Nearly two dozen students from Hawaiian immersion schools on Maui have traveled to the state Capitol multiple times this legislative session with a simple message. The high court’s unanimous decision found the state attorney general's office made false statements to try to exploit the Maui wildfires to advance its own interests.
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Despite sizable public opposition, lawmakers are racing to finalize a bill that could pass the costs of the Maui wildfires onto ratepayers. HPR's Maddie Bender and Savannah Harriman-Pote explain what that means for Hawaiian Electric and its customers.
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Changes to the Honolulu Salary Commission could be coming to reduce the chances of conflict. A handful of Honolulu City Councilmembers have introduced resolutions to let voters decide how the commission operates.
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The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court says the state attorney general's office must pay attorney fees for using last year's Maui wildfire tragedy to file a petition in “bad faith” that blamed a state court judge for a lack of water for firefighting.
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Long-term funding could finally be coming to the state’s DA BUX program. The initiative cuts the price in half for eligible produce grown by Hawaiʻi farmers, and this year’s state budget bill could allocate a recurring $1 million annually to DA BUX.
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A state legislative bill to create a pilot program for a state-initiated expungement process for Hawaiʻi County passed a final reading in the House and will be transmitted to Gov. Josh Green for approval.
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The 10 red-light cameras currently installed in urban Honolulu have issued over 900 citations. The chosen intersections, such as King Street and Ward Avenue, have a history of high crash rates.