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It Looked Bad In The Beginning, But Maui Did Not Suck Up All The Money In The State Budget David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

It Looked Bad In The Beginning, But Maui Did Not Suck Up All The Money In The State Budget

Thanks to a large starting surplus of cash and a surge in support from the federal government, the state is managing the huge costs of the Maui fire — for now.

Proposed State Budget Includes Money For Public School Raises, Geothermal Exploration Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2024

Proposed State Budget Includes Money For Public School Raises, Geothermal Exploration

The budget would also provide millions of dollars in extra support to the Hawaii State Hospital.

Inside the Late-Night Parties Where Hawaii Politicians Raked In Money Phillip Jung/The New York Times

Inside the Late-Night Parties Where Hawaii Politicians Raked In Money

After the state passed a law barring government contractors from donating to politicians, fund-raising parties showed just how completely the reform effort failed.

Hawaii Lawmakers Take Campaign Money From Hawaiian Electric But Don’t Own Its Stock Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015

Hawaii Lawmakers Take Campaign Money From Hawaiian Electric But Don’t Own Its Stock

The total of individual political donations by executives matches the spending by the utility’s political action committee.

Want To Boost Hawaii Aquaculture? Remove The Barriers Courtesy: Blue Ocean Mariculture

Want To Boost Hawaii Aquaculture? Remove The Barriers

The state has significant potential for tropical aquaculture production but the industry needs more investment and less bureaucratic red tape.

Oahu’s Construction Waste Could Become Food For Crops At A New Kapolei Facility Thomas Heaton/Civil Beat/2024

Oahu’s Construction Waste Could Become Food For Crops At A New Kapolei Facility

An innovative recycling plant also hopes to provide a process to turn invasive weeds and grasses into something more useful.

House Speaker Well Funded In Rematch With Persistent Opponent Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

House Speaker Well Funded In Rematch With Persistent Opponent

Scott Saiki has 10 times the amount of cash in his campaign war chest compared with Kim Coco Iwamoto.

Hawaii Prisons Need More Thorough Internal Investigations, Commission Says Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

Hawaii Prisons Need More Thorough Internal Investigations, Commission Says

The state corrections commission encountered an array of problems during facility tours, including some serious safety violations.

Senators Grill DOE Officials For Failure To Spend Project Money Before Deadline Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Senators Grill DOE Officials For Failure To Spend Project Money Before Deadline

They question how the Department of Education communicated about its struggles to handle nearly $1 billion in capital improvement funds.

Green: New Budget Helps Maui But Doesn’t Neglect Housing, Mental Health David Croxford

Green: New Budget Helps Maui But Doesn’t Neglect Housing, Mental Health

The governor revives the idea of a “green fee” levied on tourists that would help offset the impact of climate change.