Hawaii Politics & News
Hawaii politics from The Daily Signal, examining state governance, economic policy, environmental regulations, and the unique challenges facing the Aloha State’s residents and communities.
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Hawaii Ranks Worst for Sales Tax Burden
HONOLULU—Hawaii ranks worst in three major categories in the seventh annual “Rich States, Poor States” report, which tracks states’ economic policies based on 15 policy areas. Hawaii has no sales tax; residents pay a general excise tax for goods and services, including food, medical services and medical prescriptions. The state has the highest “sales” tax…Malia Zimmerman -
Hawaii Students Get Gift Cards for Participating in Controversial Sex-Ed Program
HONOLULU – Middle school students who participated in a controversial sex education program in Hawaii were rewarded with gift cards from the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies. The gift cards, valued at between $10 and $20 each, were issued to 11-, 12- and 13-year-olds who participate in Pono Choices. About $52,200 of a…Malia Zimmerman -
State’s Welfare Recipients Withdraw Money in Far-Off Places (Hawaii, Las Vegas and Even Virgin Islands)
Taxpayers are apparently buying welfare recipients booze and cigarettes for the road—at times a quite exotic road. An analysis of a Colorado Department of Human Services welfare ATM withdrawals database shows that $3.8 million was withdrawn by Colorado welfare recipients outside the state in the past two years. There were withdrawals at out-of-state liquor stores…Arthur Kane -
Hawaii Will Go Bust By 2016, Senate Minority Leader Says
HONOLULU — Hawaii Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom is warning fellow lawmakers he has serious concerns about the state’s economic future. Slom, the only Republican in the 25-member Senate, cites the Council on Revenues’ recent downgraded economic forecast indicating Hawaii is in much worse financial position than anticipated. “Hawaii is set to go bust in 2016…Malia Zimmerman -
Controversial Sex Education Program Reinstated in Hawaii Public Schools
HONOLULU — Hawaii’s State Department of Education will reinstate the controversial “Pono Choices” sex education curriculum, but the program for middle school students will include some key revisions after pressure from parents and lawmakers. The curriculum, developed by the University of Hawaii Center on Disability Studies, set off a firestorm over the last year. Some…Malia Zimmerman -
Taxpayers Cover Cost of Flying Immigrant Children to Hawaii
HONOLULU—Although 2,500 miles from the continental United States, Hawaii has joined the list of states temporarily housing unaccompanied minors from Central America who have illegally crossed into America through the U.S.-Mexico border. Who’s paying to transport the minors to Hawaii? You, the taxpayer. Some 60,000 Central American youths fleeing their home countries have come to the…Malia Zimmerman -
Watch Your Step: Hawaii Taxpayers Will Pay $81,000 for ‘Fall-Prevention Coordinator’
HONOLULU—Take careful steps. When possible, stay in your seat and, by all means, grab hold of that railing. Simple advice, apparently from much simpler times. These days, however, Hawaii seems compelled to pay someone to offer such ubiquitous and common-sense advice. Taxpayers will spend $81,000 in 2015 on a new government position—”fall-prevention coordinator,” who will…Malia Zimmerman -
As Details Emerge, Hawaii Veterans Voice Outrage at VA’s Waiting Lists
HONOLULU—Veterans seeking care at the VA Medical Center here wait an average of 145 days. Perhaps more striking, some 64,000 veterans enrolled in the system for at least 10 years have yet to see a doctor, according to a Department of Veterans Affairs audit released Monday. Even before the audit, said Willes Lee, a West…Malia Zimmerman