Hawaii taxpayers are receiving refunds of $100 or $300, thanks to a new law that takes advantage of a budget surplus. But amidst rising costs it may only go so far.
Under Lynn Finnegan, the new chair of the Hawaii Republican Party, the GOP has done a lot of recruiting of candidates and might actually pick up a few seats in the Democrat-controlled state.
City Council members Tommy Waters and Esther Kiaaina are working to reform the Honolulu Liquor Commission, including calls for greater transparency and accountability amid a rash of complaints.
Honolulu rail and city officials keep moving the date that the $11 billion project is going to be finished. The latest projections put the opening date in 2029 at the soonest.
According to a recent Civil Beat/Hawaii News Now Poll, former Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona and mixed martial arts champ BJ Penn are the frontrunners for the GOP gubernatorial nomination. But there are eight other candidates and a lot of undecided voters.