EDITORIAL: Bill is affront to journalism, public
Senate Bill 1618 was introduced on Jan. 23, tucked neatly away among a raft of bills filed before this session’s deadline for new legislation. Perhaps this was by design; a bill so brazen, so ill-conceived and so odious in nature requires delicate handling.
EDITORIAL: MEMA must grow from past failure
A Maui County-commissioned report on improvements needed at the Maui Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), made public last week, creates a “road map” for a MEMA makeover.
EDITORIAL: Hawaii must hedge against federal chaos
A White House order caused a scattershot “freeze” in federal funding for programs and nonprofit organizations nationwide and set off chaos and confusion in Hawaii and other states this week, as officials scrambled to identify programs and services under threat.
EDITORIAL: Farm to School is worth cultivating
There is no argument that quality K-12 education is a public necessity — investing in informed future generations boosts local economies and is of great import to society as a whole.
EDITORIAL: Tougher laws for human trafficking
Human trafficking is underway in Hawaii on any given day. Police, prosecutors, social workers and health care providers know this, because cases come to the surface when a trafficking victim or concerned witness calls a hotline, when perpetrators are caught in a sting or when a victim is injured or killed by a trafficker.
EDITORIAL: Take urgent action on housing needs
To hear Gov. Josh Green tell it, the state is making considerable headway to meet the housing needs of its people.
EDITORIAL: Enforceability key for fireworks law
Gov. Josh Green, with state Attorney General Anne Lopez and other officials, has sketched out plans for proposed changes to Hawaii’s fireworks laws, modifications designed to streamline enforcement and goose penalties in a bid to better protect residents.
EDITORIAL: Cooperate, focus on isles’ priorities under Trump
President Donald Trump has begun his second term in office, reasserting in his Monday inaugural address many of the themes familiar to those who watched his run for the White House, and especially to those who supported him.
EDITORIAL: Rapidly build up Hawaii’s wildfire response
Communication and communication systems, which so devastatingly failed during the Lahaina fire, must be addressed — now.
EDITORIAL: Sharply eye costs of tourism budget
The pressure is on the Hawaii Tourism Authority (HTA) to scale back its spending aspirations, and that’s coming straight from the top — the governor’s office.
EDITORIAL: Transparent isle lawmaking a must
The 2025 Hawaii Legislature began its 60-day session on Wednesday, and the public must see good-government reforms that should have been enacted years ago.
EDITORIAL: Full count of isles’ homeless needed
There is no such thing as “too much information” when it comes to guidance for programs to address Hawaii’s homelessness problems.
EDITORIAL: Do more to house Lahaina survivors
Stark figures from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) latest Point-in-Time (PIT) count reveal a whopping 87% increase in Hawaii homelessness between 2023 and 2024, with primary blame laid on the Aug. 8, 2023, Maui wildfires.
EDITORIAL: Time is now for climate action
The Legislature must act to establish a Hawaii Climate Resilience Fund; set aside disaster recovery funds; and expand the new state Fire Marshal Office and related programs, like Firewise.
EDITORIAL: Hawaii health staffing needs booster shot
The health of Hawaii — or at least its capacity to care for its people — is gradually on the mend.
EDITORIAL: Grim events are agents for change
It’s been a terribly traumatic start to the new year in Hawaii.
EDITORIAL: Navy must ensure safe mine training
It’ll be one of the more consequential decisions in recent years regarding Hawaii’s contribution to U.S. military strategy: Whether to renew the Navy’s operating permit for training at sea around Hawaii and California, which aims to expand mine warfare training here.
EDITORIAL: Funds alone won’t thwart wildfires
The Lahaina wildfires loom large in Hawaii’s collective memory, as they must when survivors are still living through emotional, financial and, in some cases, physical strife nearly 17 months later.
EDITORIAL: Enough feuding, shut Red Hill down
The situation over how to close the Navy’s aging and problematic Red Hill fuel facility, remediate its nearby environs and keep the area’s water safe has devolved this year, sadly.
EDITORIAL: Promise mingles with uncertainty
The new year stretches out ahead, filled with promise. That’s taking the traditional, optimistic view on prospects for 2025.