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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A Year After Hawaii Fire, Rebuilding Has Barely Begun
Cleanup after wildfires is inherently more difficult than recovery from other natural disasters, according to Brian Cavanaugh, a visiting fellow for cybersecurity, intelligence, and homeland security at The Heritage Foundation. Unlike a hurricane, which mainly creates wind and water damage, Cavanaugh says, fires damage the structural integrity of buildings and often leave dangerous chemicals behind. …Virginia Allen -
Election Watchdog’s Lawsuit Claims Hawaii Breaks Law on Voter Rolls
An elections watchdog group is suing Hawaii, claiming that the state breaks federal law on maintaining voter registration lists. Public Interest Legal Foundation filed the lawsuit alleging that Hawaii’s Chief Election Officer Scott Nago violated Section 8 of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, which requires states to regularly update voter registration rolls. The…Fred Lucas -
Hawaii Locals ‘Universally Angry’ About Federal Response to Maui Wildfires
The town of Lahaina, Hawaii, looks like it’s been “bombed,” The Daily Signal’s Tony Kinnett says after visiting fire-devastated areas on the island of Maui. Kinnett, investigative columnist for The Daily Signal, spent five days on the ground in Lahaina and elsewhere on Maui. Where government officials have failed, he says, locals have stepped up…Virginia Allen -
HAWAII ISLANDERS: Ignore Jason Momoa and Come Visit Maui
KIHEI, Hawaii—In the aftermath of the horrific fires that rapidly swept across western Maui, destroying the town of Lahaina and possibly killing over 1,000, fellow Hawaiians have spared no expense to come to the aid of the suffering and homeless. The Daily Signal witnessed Maui businesses plastered with signs advertising drives of almost every kind…Tony Kinnett -
In Hawaii, Lahaina Baptist Church ‘Untouched’ by Fires Amid Surrounding Ashes
LAHAINA, Hawaii—After the devastation left by the wildfires that wrecked the western side of the island of Maui, over a thousand people near here are left unaccounted for as the death toll, now at 114, continues to climb. Pastor Barry Campbell of Lahaina Baptist Church, his wife Marcy, and Bryant Wright of Send Relief joined…Tony Kinnett -
Biden’s Misguided Priorities: Ukraine, Illegal Aliens vs. Hawaii
Hawaii, once a symbol of nature’s grace, now lies devastated, a chilling semblance of a war zone. At least 100 lives have been lost to the flames of a devastating wildfire, with hundreds of homes obliterated and families shattered. But in the face of this profound tragedy, President Joe Biden has responded with a suggestion…Armstrong Williams -
What Residents of Hawaii Can Learn From Biden’s Response to Another Disaster in Ohio
President Joe Biden has forgotten about the residents of East Palestine, a town in that pesky, blue-collar state of Ohio, and he wants you to forget as well. If you’re a resident of Maui, Hawaii, and hoping for the Biden administration to save you in your time of need, then I regret to inform you…Mike Howell -
Deadly Hawaii Fires Are Result of Political and Policy Failures—Not Climate Change
Hawaii has suffered through one of the most devastating natural disasters in recent American history. Predictably, the left-wing political and media narrative-making machine has sought to turn the Hawaii fires into another lesson about climate change. The facts draw a drastically different picture. The extent of the damage on the island of Maui isn’t fully…Jarrett Stepman -
The Misinformed, Ineffective War on Styrofoam Heads to Hawaii
Maui on Dec. 31 became the first Hawaiian county—and one of the latest cities and counties across the United States—to ban polystyrene plastic (more commonly known as Styrofoam) food containers. The purpose of the ban is to reduce pollution and encourage recycling across the island. Yet, a recent report on the impact of a proposed…Jonathan Zalewski -
Physician-Assisted Suicide in Hawaii Is an Attack on All of Us
Earlier this month, Hawaii became the sixth state in the U.S. to legalize physician-assisted suicide. Proponents of the law hail the move as a step toward “death with dignity,” but this could not be further from the truth. Physician-assisted suicide is a direct attack on human dignity. Every human life has value, not because of…Monica Burke -
Hawaii’s False Missile Alarm Exposed Critical Weaknesses. Here’s What Must Be Done.
The false alarm of a missile attack on Hawaii and the completely inadequate civil defense response deserve much more than snickers and head shakes. These problems must be fixed. The fiasco Jan. 13 was indeed caused by a simple human error: A state operations center worker hit the wrong button. That’s easy to fix. A…Steven Bucci -
Hawaii Pregnancy Centers Go to Court Over Law Requiring They Promote Abortions
A conservative legal organization went to court Friday in Hawaii over a law that forces pregnancy care centers to provide free advertising for abortion. “They are requiring pregnancy centers [that] just give away diapers and baby clothes to refer women to the state, to a website that connects them with certainly abortion causing drugs, and…Rachel del Guidice -
Hawaii to Force Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers to Advertise Free Abortions
All five of Hawaii’s pro-life pregnancy centers will be forced to choose between advertising free abortions and defying the state’s demands starting Wednesday, after Gov. David Ige allowed a mandatory disclaimer bill to become law Tuesday night. Mirroring a 2015 California law, Hawaii’s edict forces locally funded pregnancy centers to post and distribute to each…Jay Hobbs -
Hawaii Has No Case Against Revised Travel Executive Order
The new lawsuit filed by Hawaii against President Donald Trump’s revised March 6 immigration executive order is just as unsound as the lawsuits filed by other states against the original order—despite what some courts have said about the original order or may say about the revised order. Executive Order 13780, “Protecting the Nation From Foreign…Hans von Spakovsky -
Hawaii Is Holding an Election That Only Allows People of Certain Racial Background to Vote
It’s bad enough having a state hold an election that is racially discriminatory. Now we have a judge willing to allow it to move forward. That would be federal district court Judge J. Michael Seabright (a George W. Bush appointee, surprisingly enough). He’s refused to issue an injunction to stop an election in Hawaii to…Hans von Spakovsky -
Think Millennials Are Immature? Hawaii Raising Legal Age to Smoke to 21 Won’t Help
If Hawaii wants to raise a generation of Peter Pans, they’re on the right path. Gov. David Ige, a Democrat, signed a bill Friday that bans smoking for those younger than 21. Teens and 21-year-olds can vote and can join the military but they won’t be able to light up in the Aloha State. The…Katrina Trinko -
Hawaii’s Obamacare Exchange Projected to Be Financially Viable in 2022
HONOLULU—The state’s Obamacare exchange, Hawaii Health Connector, is the most costly in the nation, and a new report from the Hawaii Commerce and Consumer Affairs Department shows it won’t be fiscally sustainable until 2022. That’s based on an enrollment of 70,000 to 80,000, said its director, Jeff Kissel.Hawaii Health Connector had about 1,000 people enrolled at this…Malia Zimmerman -
Hawaii: Land of Sun, Sand and … Spies?
HONOLULU — With its strategic location in the Pacific and substantial military assets, Hawaii has been a prime target of foreign governments seeking U.S. intelligence. The way to stop intelligence breaches, said FBI Director James Comey during a recent trip to the 50th state, is to “know your people” and “who has access to what.”…Malia Zimmerman -
Hawaii Taxpayers Would Spend Millions on Private Preschools if Amendment Passes
HONOLULU — Hawaii is the only state that prohibits government funding of private preschools, but that may change tomorrow. Hawaii’s voters will be asked whether the state constitution should be amended so taxpayers can subsidize private preschool education. Amendment 4, “The Hawaii State Funding for Private Early Childhood Education Programs,” asks: “Shall the appropriation of…Malia Zimmerman -
New Jersey Has Therapists, Hawaii Has Tour Guides. Find Out the Unusually Popular Job in Your State.
What job is most heavily concentrated in your state? A new map from Business Insider uses the newly released May 2013 Occupational Employment Statistics to illustrate “the most over-represented job in each state.” Each of the jobs depicted has a higher per-capita rate in the individual state than in the rest of the nation. For…Kate Scanlon