Kevin Dayton
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Past articles by Kevin:
Hawaii Senate committee rejects Gov. Ige’s pick for state director of finance
The Senate Ways and Means Committee this morning voted to reject the appointment of state Director of Finance Craig Hirai, the second time in a week that one of Gov. David Ige’s cabinet appointments has been jeopardized by Senate push-back. → Read More
Hawaii State Legislature passes police reform bill
Both houses of the state Legislature passed a police reform bill today that would require county police departments to disclose to lawmakers the identity of an officer upon his or her suspension or discharge. → Read More
Interim state tax director withdraws from senate confirmation process
In a new sign of strains between state senators and Gov. David Ige’s administration, interim state Tax Director Rona Suzuki said this morning she has asked Ige to withdraw her name from consideration after learning the Senate Ways and Means Committee planned to recommend that she not be confirmed to the post for the last two years of the Ige administration. → Read More
Lawmakers again move forward on ban of large-capacity rifle magazines
A proposed ban on large- capacity rifle magazines that hold more than 10 rounds of ammunition is back on track to pass at the state Capitol despite resistance from dozens of gun owners and despite concerns raised by the state attorney general that the ban as proposed is probably unenforceable. → Read More
Hawaii lawmakers approve public worker raises worth more than $150M
The state House and Senate today approved public worker raises worth more than $150 million for tens of thousands of public employees even as hundreds of thousands of private sectors workers have lost their jobs, but lawmakers noted that public employees may still face furloughs or layoffs in the months ahead. → Read More
Scheduled 2025 opening date for 20-mile rail line being pushed into 2026
The head of the Honolulu rail authority acknowledged Thursday that the entire 20-mile rail line will not actually open as scheduled by the end of 2025, saying the authority now expects the $9.2 billion project to open a few months later, in March 2026. → Read More
$16M in Hawaii unemployment benefits possibly lost to fraud
Nearly $16 million in Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits in Hawaii may have been lost to fraud and identity theft, the state Department of Labor and Industrial Relations reported today. → Read More
Gov. David Ige reportedly close to announcing testing protocol, loosened quarantine
Gov. David Ige’s administration is poised to adopt a COVID-19 testing protocol similar to one being used by Alaska, and is expected to announce as early as this week that at least some travelers will be allowed to bypass Hawaii’s two-week quarantine requirement this summer if they provide proof of a recent negative test for the new coronavirus. → Read More
Hawaii retailers report resistance to the in-store mask requirement
For weeks now Hawaii has had the lowest per capita COVID-19 infection rate of any state in the nation, and apparently some shoppers have decided the worst of the coronavirus threat has passed. Local retailers are reporting some unpleasant recent exchanges with customers who refuse to wear their masks in stores and are then asked to leave. → Read More
Rail authorities want a $9M change order for design firm’s contract demands
The Honolulu rail authority is seeking approval for a $9.19 million change order for the company AECOM, a design and engineering firm with a rail contract that has been repeatedly extended, revised and increased in value in a convoluted series of changes during the past eight years. → Read More
Legislative races feature a new party and more contested primaries this year
It appears to be getting a bit harder to get a free pass on an election in Hawaii. → Read More
Hawaii budget shortfall now projected to be $2.3 billion
There was a lot of guesswork involved, but a panel of experts concluded Thursday that state tax collections will drop by 7% this fiscal year and another 12% next year, leaving Gov. David Ige’s administration with a whopping $2.3 billion budget hole to patch up. → Read More
Tourists could begin to return to Hawaii by late summer, economic report says
The latest economic projections from the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization suggest it will take at least two years for the mainland economy to recover from the coronavirus pandemic, with tourists beginning to return to Hawaii in late July of this year. → Read More
House Speaker Scott Saiki lays off 3 in House, cancels contracts
House Speaker Scott Saiki is laying off three permanent staff members in the state House of Representatives and canceling computer upgrades and some copier contracts to cut costs. → Read More
Hawaii to tap ‘Pandemic EBT’ program for an extra $25M in food aid
State officials plan to start a new program that will allow all families with children who receive free lunches at public schools to also get help from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, better known as food stamps. → Read More
New construction budget draft features $76 million for new Wahiawa civic center
State senators unveiled a multibillion-dollar state construction budget Wednesday that features a $76 million appropriation for a new civic center and judiciary complex for Wahiawa, a district represented by powerful Ways and Means Committee Chairman Donovan Dela Cruz. → Read More
2 coronavirus clusters in Hawaii involved people who went to parties, Hara says
Two clusters of people who became ill with COVID-19 in Hawaii involved parties where people apparently ignored warnings to engage in social distancing and avoid social gatherings, according to Major General Kenneth Hara, the incident commander for the state coronavirus response. → Read More
Some isle malls can reopen, but Oahu and Maui must wait
Hawaii will take a step toward an economic relaunch Thursday when some neighbor island retail outlets, shopping malls and some other businesses are allowed to reopen, but Gov. David Ige warned that health officials expect the number of COVID-19 cases will increase in the weeks ahead as authorities gradually relax the statewide stay-home order. → Read More
Hawaii moving forward with a cautious, ‘phased’ reopening effort
Gov. David Ige’s announcement Wednesday that he approved requests by the counties to allow some low-contact businesses to reopen means Hawaii is cautiously joining the other states with the lowest COVID-19 infection rates as they begin a step-by-step process to restart their local economies. → Read More
HART video system fails, but votes on $40 million in change orders proceed
A video system set up to let the public watch meetings of the Honolulu rail authority’s board of directors failed Tuesday for the second time this month, but rail board members proceeded with their meetings anyway and voted to approve nearly $40 million in new rail project change orders and contracts. → Read More