By Andrew Gomes, Star-Advertiser, 5/8/23

The state Legislature is a busy place most days during its annual session from mid-January to early May, but one day often stands out for rushed, sometimes hushed activity.

April 28 was the deadline this year for select House and Senate members to agree on compromise versions of fiscal bills where previous House and Senate committee drafts differed.

Agreements were reached that day on about 130 bills, or nearly half of all bills set up for final votes by all 51 House and 25 Senate members this year.

Introducer(s): SHIMABUKURO, AQUINO, CHANG

Status: Bill scheduled to be heard by JHA on Wednesday, 03-22-23 2:00PM in House conference room 325 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.

Requires the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to establish the native Hawaiian supportive housing pilot program on the Leeward Coast of Oahu to provide individual or shared micro housing units and services to native Hawaiian beneficiaries who are homeless, or threatened with homelessness, and who are on the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands waiting list. Appropriates funds. Effective 6/30/3000. (HD1)

By Peter Boylan, Star-Advertiser, 20 March 2023

County lawmakers are urging the city to create the long-planned Waianae patrol district by finishing a half-built police substation and paying recruiting bonuses to officers who help fill uniformed vacancies that numbered 374 as of March 5.

By Andrew Gomes, Star-Advertiser, 5 March 2023

As the state Department of Hawaiian Home Lands gears up to deliver a historic number of new homestead leases, some Hawaii lawmakers want to block existing or former lessees from acquiring more homesteads while long-unserved applicants languish on a waitlist.

By Jack Truesdale
Star-Advertiser 10/10/22

[Note: Senator Maile Shimabukuro sponsored the bill, SB1412 (2021), that allocated $95m in special purpose revenue bonds for this project.]

By Andrew Gomes
Investors wanted for Oahu surf park project, Star-Advertiser, 24 Sep. 2022

Developers of a planned surf park on state land at Kalaeloa are trying to interest the general public in the venture as investors through an unusual offering.

An Ohio-based company is seeking to raise about $100,000 for the $155 million project called Hono­kea Surf Villages and Resort by selling shares of stock in an affiliated company.

Honokea’s developers, local big-wave surfer Brian Keaulana and Kenan “Keno” Knieriem Jr. of HK Management, partnered with Columbus, Ohio-based real estate fundraising firm Rhove to help finance the surf park project, which Rhove describes as being in a pre-development phase with high loss risk.

By Star-Advertiser Staff 19 Aug. 2022

Hawaii households in food-insecure areas now are eligible for grants up to $5,000 for small-scale gardening, herding and livestock operations.

The Micro-Grants for Food Security Program is now in its second year and is accepting grant applications, the state Department of Agriculture announced today.

By Kyle Galdeira, Special to the Star-Advertiser, 10 July 2022

While school is still out for summer, the “old school” approach of Na Keiki O Ka Mo‘i Canoe Club was in full force on Saturday.