53+ min ago   (553+ words) The Honolulu Charter Commission, which convenes once every 10 years, has concluded its work and officially approved 20 Charter amendments for residents to vote on in the November general election. Residents and community groups, including the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, proposed several…...

1+ hour, 39+ min ago   (374+ words) Anticipating that federal funding cuts could force the state to cover more of its own costs, Gov. Josh Green and some lawmakers earlier this year considered walking back the historic income tax cuts they approved in 2024. The Grassroot Institute of…...

3+ day, 5+ hour ago   (400+ words) Hawaii and California differ greatly in size, but they have plenty in common — including great weather and notoriously bad permitting systems. It’s easy to joke about the absurdity of bureaucratic dysfunction. But the consequences when disaster strikes are no laughing…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (512+ words) When it became apparent earlier this month that the Honolulu Charter Commission was seriously considering approving a ballot measure asking Honolulu voters whether the City Council should be required to tax so-called empty homes, my colleagues at the Grassroot Institute…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (459+ words) The Honolulu City Council’s Budget Committee has recommended that the city increase the value of its homeowner property tax exemption by $20,000 starting July 1, 2028 — but will the relief be enough? Honolulu currently has the lowest homeowner exemption in the state. Last…...

2+ week, 3+ hour ago   (501+ words) The Hawaiʻi Legislature passed a bill this year that now allows folks across the state to install rainwater catchment systems. HB1728, which took effect July 1, is a victory for anyone who is interested in building new housing but unable to connect…...

2+ week, 7+ hour ago   (344+ words) Nearly three years after wildfires engulfed Lahaina, Hawaii, rebuilding continues to move at a glacial pace. The blazes claimed more than 100 lives and left thousands of people without homes and livelihoods. More than 2,200 structures were destroyed. So far, only 220 houses…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago   (511+ words) For the first time in the 20 years that national news outlet CNBC has been ranking America’s top states for business, Hawaii came in dead last. In particular, the Aloha State finished 50th in terms of infrastructure and the cost-of-doing-business, and landed…...

3+ week, 3+ day ago   (394+ words) Like many local business owners, Hawaii’s farmers and ranchers have to deal with rules and regulations that often make it harder to run a successful enterprise. They also share the same concerns about the high cost of housing and how…...

1+ mon, 1+ day ago   (355+ words) But this year isn’t just like any other — today we celebrate America’s 250th birthday. Two-and-a-half centuries ago, the 13 British colonies along North America’s Atlantic coast unified to declare their freedom from Great Britain and create a revolutionary form of government based…...