Proposed Hawaii fireworks ban fizzling out in Legislature 02.27.10
A statewide ban on fireworks appears to be fizzling out this year, but state lawmakers are considering a task force on illegal fireworks, increases in fireworks permit fees and fines, and expanded state powers to inspect shipping containers for explosives. Lawmakers hope the task force and other steps eventually will help contain the spread of illegal fireworks, while encouraging retailers and consumers to be more responsible with legal fireworks. Excessive New Year's fireworks displays and serious injuries to children prompted calls for new state restrictions, but lawmakers also heard from people who enjoy fireworks and want to preserve local holiday traditions .....................  Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii burglary inmate found slain in Arizona prison cell 02.20.10
A private prison in Arizona where nearly 1,900 Hawai'i inmates are housed is in lockdown, and a state team of investigators is due to arrive there tonight, following the apparent stabbing death of a 26-year-old Hawai'i inmate who was behind bars for burglary . The inmate, identified as Bronson Nunuha, was found dead Thursday in his cell at Saguaro Correctional Center. Authorities are investigating whether the killing may have been gang-related. They declined comment yesterday on whether they have any suspects. Nunuha's death comes amid new scrutiny on the private Mainland prisons where Hawai'i inmates are shipped, and six months after female Hawai'i inmates at a Colorado prison were brought home following widespread allegations of sex abuse by staff there. .....................  Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii fireworks ban not a Capitol priority 01.10.10
Ten years after the last major change in the state's fireworks laws, prospects for a ban on firecrackers, fountains and other consumer pyrotechnics appear as clouded as Hawai'i's skies on New Year's Eve.In 2000, the Legislature approved regulations intended to tamp down on the use of legal and illegal fireworks, but since then, there has been a threefold increase in fireworks imports, according to data from the Honolulu Fire Department. Even supporters of a total fireworks ban admit the public is split on the issue and that there isn't enough organized grassroots pressure to move lawmakers to take drastic action to end the ear-splitting noise, lung-choking fumes and sometimes lethal explosions that turn many neighborhoods into what some have likened to war zones ......................  Honolulu Advertiser

Smuggled-in fireworks expose security flaw 01.09.10
Another New Year celebration has ended and once again calls for a complete ban on individual fireworks can be heard. If residents would just follow the existing laws, I feel the calls for a ban would be very limited. Unfortunately, many people blatantly disregard our laws, and many residents are frustrated and angry at the perceived lack of action being taken by law enforcement. I have heard that booming bombs started as early as September in some areas of Oahu. I know by Thanksgiving it is common to hear the bombs or see illegal aerial fireworks in residential neighborhoods. Our dilemma at the Legislature is our constituency is divided when it comes to an outright ban. There are those who say fireworks are an island and Asian tradition that is celebrated by many families. Others feel the noise and smoke are too much for those with breathing problems and pets in particular. With a split constituency, there is no consensus among lawmakers on what should be done......................  Star Bulletin

Lawmakers Push for A Complete Ban of Fireworks 01.02.10
With a new year comes yet another push to ban fireworks in Hawaii. It's a move that has been defeated every legislative session, so why bring it up again? There were no major injuries or fireworks-related fires over the holiday, but some legislators say the state shouldn't wait for something terrible to happen before acting. Some people say it's a night of celebration, others say it's like a neighborhood at war. Aerial fireworks are illegal, but on some streets you'd never know it. "And it's a very difficult task for HPD, they have to catch these individuals in the act," said Rep. Ryan Yamane. Firefighters responded to dozens of calls over the holiday, nothing major, but enough for some lawmakers to take notice. Including what landed on the Chee family's car, on Friday at the Royal Kunia. "Thank God the thing didn't explode because yeah I think people would have been injured or killed and that's a huge concern because I don't think that's an isolated case," said Yamane. Every year lawmakers push for a complete ban of fireworks, but so far every effort has failed. Senator Will Espero says the delay is only pushing back the inevitable. ......................  KHON2

U.S. education chief chides Hawaii for school furloughs 11.13.09
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, in a telephone news conference yesterday, again scolded Hawai'i for its decision to furlough teachers for 17 school days and said the move could hinder the state's ability to garner competitive federal grant money. "There's got to be a better way," Duncan said. "When you have tough budget times, what you do with scarce resources reflects your priorities. I don't know anyone who could make a case that eliminating 10 percent of your school days is good for Hawai'i." To help balance the state budget, Hawai'i cut its public school calendar by 17 days to 163 days, the lowest in the nation. Duncan's comments were made after he announced the official start of a $4.35 billion federal grant program for schools known as the Race to the Top Fund. According to the grant criteria, Hawai'i, along with 15 other states of similar size, is eligible to compete for funds ranging from $20 million to $75 million ......................  Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii senators say Lingle has money to ease furloughs 11.12.09
State senators on a special legislative committee examining public teacher furloughs yesterday said they want to urge Gov. Linda Lingle to make use of $35 million in federal stimulus money that is entirely under her control. The money, they say, has yet to be spent and could cover the cost of some furlough days if given to the state Department of Education. The state saves about $5 million a day for each furlough Friday. "A missing component at the table is the governor. Whether we agree or not, she has discretion over these funds. Hopefully all parties are willing to take a look at how we can quickly restore (furlough days)," said Sen. Jill Tokuda, a member of the state Senate's Special Committee to consider furloughs. Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto told the senators that the DOE would be willing to renegotiate the furlough days as soon as money is available to put teachers back in the classroom......................  Honolulu Advertiser

Lawmakers advocate renegotiating teacher contract to restore cut days 11.03.09
A prominent House Democrat joined a group of minority Republicans calling for all sides to return to the bargaining table to restore public school days being cut because of state worker furloughs. House Finance Chairman Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa-Poamoho) appealed to the state Department of Education and Hawaii State Teachers Association to reopen the contract recently ratified by 81 percent of the union's members who cast votes. "They can go back in, resolve it amongst themselves, and we can wait for that," Oshiro said. "There's no need for a special session. The parties to the contract need to get back in, rewrite the contract, ratify it and take care of the problem." Oshiro was responding to calls by House Republicans at a news conference yesterday. "It's just morally wrong that the children of Hawaii should bear the brunt of the current economic crisis," said Rep. Corinne Ching (R, Nuuanu-Liliha-Alewa Heights). "We know that there is a better way." ......................  Star Bulletin

Hawaii state senators asked to help restore school days 10.31.09
Dozens of parents and educators appealed to state senators yesterday to take action — any action — to find the estimated $60 million to $85 million it would take to cancel teacher furlough days. At a public meeting before a special Senate committee at the state Capitol, many parents and educators asked lawmakers to return in special session and suggested several options, including the use of the hurricane relief fund, the rainy day fund or a general-excise tax increase. Several people who testified complained of a lack of urgency and said teacher furloughs send a message to students that their education does not matter. "I think the thing that's most troubling about the situation is the lack of a sense of urgency," said James Koshiba, the executive director of Kanu Hawaii, a nonprofit community group that has organized rallies against teacher furloughs. "A friend of mine just today likened it to a group of surgeons standing around a person — a patient in need — and arguing over whose responsibility it is to perform the operation while the patient is bleeding to death on the operating table." ......................  Honolulu Advertiser

Options sought for furloughs 10.28.09
Responding to pressure from a majority of state Senate Democrats, Senate President Colleen Hanabusa yesterday named a special committee to look at options to restore classroom instruction time lost to teacher furloughs. The seven-member committee, led by state Sen. Brian Taniguchi, D-10th (Manoa, McCully), and state Sen. Will Espero, D-20th (Ewa Beach, Waipahu), will hold public meetings as soon as Friday. The committee is expected to make recommendations to the full Senate, including whether lawmakers should return in special session and tap the Hurricane Relief Fund, the rainy- day fund or raise taxes to bring back classroom instruction time. Hanabusa, D-21st (Nana-kuli, Makaha), cautioned against giving parents and educators false hope. Last week, Hanabusa, state House leaders and Gov. Linda Lingle downplayed the potential for a special session to address teacher furloughs, contending that education spending should be discussed next session in the larger context of the state's $1 billion budget deficit through June 2011 ......................  Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii Senate forms cmte to look into restoring lost classroom time 10.27.09
The state Senate has formed a special committee to examine options to restore classroom instruction time lost to teacher furloughs. The committee, which will be led by state Sen. Brian Taniguchi, D-10th (Manoa, McCully), and state Sen. Will Espero, D-20th (`Ewa Beach, Waipahu), will hold public meetings on the different approaches to ending teacher furloughs. The committee will also decide whether to recommend a special session. State House and Senate have said there are no plans for a special session, but Espero has gathered signatures from 14 senators calling for a special session to consider using the hurricane relief fund to restore classroom instruction time. ......................  Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii officials say focus should be on budget deficit 10.25.09
While sensitive to parents outraged by the loss of classroom instruction time for their children because of teacher furloughs, Gov. Linda Lingle and state House and Senate leaders say their priority must be the larger issue of the state's budget deficit. The Republican governor and majority Democrats, who have rarely been on the same page on the budget, worry the public still does not fully comprehend the magnitude of an estimated $1 billion deficit through June 2011. In separate interviews and comments to reporters on Friday, as parents and their children were protesting furloughs at the state Capitol, the governor and House and Senate leaders dismissed talk of a special session and the immediate use of the state's Hurricane Relief Fund or a general-excise tax increase to offset furlough days ......................  Honolulu Advertiser

School days off might be subject of special session 10.24.09
A majority of state senators are signing on to the idea of returning to the Capitol to find money for education, but it is still not clear whether there is enough support to bring lawmakers back into session early. It takes two-thirds approval in both the Senate and House to convene a special session, or the governor could do so on her own. State Sen. Will Espero (D, Ewa-Kapolei-Ewa Beach) wants to get a majority of legislators in favor of a special session and then ask Gov. Linda Lingle to order it. He says money could be taken from the Hurricane Relief Fund to stop further school closures and teacher furloughs. ......................  Star Bulletin

Move on medical marijuana 09.26.09
A private study group is embarked on a review of the issue of medical marijuana that legislators had assigned to a task force that the Lingle administration refuses to create. In its absence, the private group should devise a method of distributing marijuana for medical purposes and hope the next governor appreciates the need. Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a bill aimed at creating a marijuana task force and a second task force to research and recommend legislation regarding salvia divinorum, a hallucinogenic Mexican herb that is regulated in 13 states. The Legislature overrode the veto, but the Lingle administration is refusing to construct the task forces. The George W. Bush administration refused to recognize the laws in Hawaii and 12 other states that allow marijuana for medical use. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2005 that the federal government may prosecute medical users of marijuana for violating federal drug laws ......................  Star Bulletin

Kulani needed to rehabilitate inmates 09.15.09
The closure of Kulani Correctional Facility on the Big Island is not in the best interest of our state. We are in a very difficult budget crisis, but removing a facility from the correctional system is a mistake. Kulani is an important facility for rehabilitating Hawai'i inmates, and the need has not diminished or gone away. The governor has had success in her two terms in areas such as Hawaiian Homelands, the Marine National Monument, and energy sustainability, to name a few. But closing Kulani will be seen as a black mark almost equal to the loss of the Superferry. Hawai'i currently has about 1,800 inmates incarcerated on the Mainland. While it is cheaper to imprison inmates on the Mainland, the main reason is due to overcrowding in Hawai'i prisons. It costs Hawai'i taxpayers over $55 million per year for Mainland incarceration......................  Honolulu Advertiser

No pot task force this year 09.14.09
The Lingle administration has chosen not to convene a medical marijuana task force that was opposed by Gov. Linda Lingle, a decision two state lawmakers believe ignores the intent of the state Legislature. The administration at first cited fiscal limitations and then priorities at the state Department of Public Safety as reasons for not going forward this year with a task force established by state law. State Sen. Will Espero, D-20th ('Ewa Beach, Waipahu), and state Rep. Joe Bertram III, D-11th (Makena, Wailea, Kihei), believe the administration has disregarded a law the governor was against. Hawai'i is one of 13 states that allow medical marijuana, but patients and their primary caregivers have to grow their own supply or otherwise purchase the drug in the criminal market. Lawmakers believe a medical marijuana task force is necessary to study the obstacles patients encounter when trying to obtain the drug to ease cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, chronic pain, severe nausea and seizures.....................  Honolulu Advertiser

Hawaii pulling its women inmates out of troubled Kentucky prison 08.19.09
Women inmates from Hawai'i will be removed from a Kentucky prison for safety reasons after allegations that some were sexually abused by prison guards, the state Department of Public Safety announced yesterday. Clayton Frank, the department's director, said 40 women inmates were transferred back to the Islands on Monday and most of the 128 women remaining at Otter Creek Correctional Center in Wheelwright will return within a month. Several women serving lengthy sentences will be moved to other Mainland prisons, according to the department. Frank said many inmates wanted to stay at Otter Creek because they believe they are benefiting from its prison services .....................  Honolulu Advertiser

Female inmates to return to isles 08.19.09
The majority of 128 female inmates from Hawaii housed at a private Kentucky correctional facility will return to the islands within a month, Public Safety Director Clayton Frank said yesterday. Forty Hawaii inmates returned Monday from Otter Creek Correctional Facility, where guards were accused of sexually assaulting 23 women, including seven from Hawaii. A task force visited Otter Creek on July 5 and found that a 2007 sexual assault case was substantiated, with the guard being terminated and convicted. One case was dismissed, two female inmates denied assault allegations, and three cases are being investigated by Kentucky police, Public Safety Deputy Director Tommy Johnson said. The Senate Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, headed by Sen. Will Espero, interviewed Frank and Johnson at the state Capitol yesterday for an update on the allegations and the possibility of returning the women to Hawaii .....................  Star Bulletin

Inmates prefer Kentucky, some say 08.17.09
Most of the Hawaii inmates at a Kentucky women's prison are asking to remain there, saying they feel safe despite allegations of rape by prison guards, said a Hawaii Department of Public Safety official. "The majority want to remain," said Public Safety Deputy Director Tommy Johnson, who was part of a team sent to Kentucky to investigate the rape claims. When he visited Otter Creek Correctional Complex in Wheelwright, Ky., the week of July 5, many of the 22 Hawaii inmates who asked to speak to him individually, as well as those he spoke to in groups, asked whether they could stay. Also, the Star-Bulletin received letters and a petition, purportedly signed by 109 of 168 Hawaii inmates at Otter Creek, saying they do not want to be transferred to a Hawaii prison.....................  Star Bulletin

U.S. House on record in birth flap 07.28.09
The U.S. House of Representatives said happy birthday to the 50th State yesterday, peripherally stepping into the "birther" fray with a resolution that notes, "President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961." While the resolution was considered routine, the national media picked up on the action because of attacks by fringe groups that do not believe Obama was born in Hawaii. Internet media services Salon and the Huffington Post ran articles. The issue of Obama's birth certificate resurfaced last week when CNN commentator Lou Dobbs, in a separate radio program, raised the issue of whether Obama had been born in Hawaii and whether he is an American citizen. If he were born in Kenya to a Kenyan father, as some allege, his eligiblity for the presidency would be in question .....................  Star Bulletin

Libraries must remain open 07.20.09
Hawaii's Board of Education is pausing before deciding whether to approve the state librarian's proposal to close five branches, and residents of the affected areas are rightly angry about the plan. Libraries provide the strongest foundation for learning by small children and adults, and elimination of any library would be devastating to the surrounding community. Cutting open hours system-wide would be preferable. Librarian Richard Burns told the school board earlier this month that the state's public library system will run out of money in the fall if it maintains the same service for all 51 branches. The board held another hearing last Thursday but again deferred a decision. "Closing any public library has always been an absolute last resort but we were forced to take these unprecedented actions to preserve the rest of our system," Burns reported to the board. Burns targeted for closure the Ewa Beach Public and School Library on Oahu, the Hana Public and School Library on Maui, and Holualoa Public Library, Kealakekua Public Library and Pahala Public and School Library on the Big Island. Ewa Beach residents who attended the meetings on Oahu were understandably furious. .....................  Star Bulletin

Jail assault probe expands 07.18.09
An investigation into sex assaults involving Hawai'i and other female inmates at a private Kentucky prison has widened and now includes 19 alleged attacks over the past three years. Advertisement Honolulu attorney Myles Breiner is representing three Hawai'i women who allege they were sexually assaulted at Otter Creek Correctional Center within the past 12 to 18 months. The most recent sex assault was reported June 23 and allegedly involved a male corrections officer. Meanwhile, Kentucky officials say they have launched an investigation into 16 alleged sex assaults at Otter Creek involving Kentucky women. Some of the allegations date back to 2006. Breiner said he expects more allegations of sex assault involving Hawai'i women to surface during investigations under way by the Hawai'i Department of Public Safety, which sent a team to Otter Creek last week to speak to female inmates from the Islands and look into the allegations.....................  Honolulu Advertiser

Space Flights: A New Frontier for Hawaii Tourism 07.12.09
Imagine seeing the Hawaiian islands and a third of the Earth while traveling interisland. Or flying from Hawaii to Japan in less than an hour. It may be an idea that sounds out of this world. Space experts are hoping to make commercial space transportation a reality here in Hawaii. But will our financial troubles keep this futuristic plan on the ground? Hawaii is one of 11 states looking into this type of technology. If the project is approved, these types of flights wouldn't start until at least 2012 first at the Kalaeloa and Kona airports. In just a few years, you won't have to be an astronaut to experience the wonders of space, if the state decides to move forward with a project that would bring commercial space transportation to the islands. And state aerospace experts say Hawaii is the ideal location.....................  KGMB9.com

FBI planning to build big new headquarters for Honolulu div. 05.30.09
The U.S. Department of Justice is expanding its presence in the Islands by building a new headquarters for the FBI's Honolulu division on 10 acres of land in Kalaeloa. Advertisement Once constructed, the building will represent one of the largest federal law enforcement complexes in the Asia-Pacific region. The FBI's new headquarters will be half a mile from the nearly completed Hawai'i state judiciary building in Kapolei and will be home to 230 agents and support staff. "The FBI's role in protecting the United States, from national security threats along with conducting complex criminal investigations, has expanded dramatically since employees of FBI's Honolulu division moved into the federal building on Ala Moana boulevard in the 1970s," said FBI special agent Brandon Simpson. "To keep up with the new responsibilities and the increased workload of the FBI's Honolulu division, it is imperative that a modern facility capable of accommodating our expanding personnel resources be built."....................  Honolulu Advertiser