Group criticizes state management of Native Hawaiian burials Follow Us
Question of the Day By - Associated Press - Thursday, January 21, 2021
HONOLULU (AP) - The state of Hawaii has drawn criticism for its handling of Native Hawaiian burials from members of burial councils who have called on the Legislature to establish a working group to draw up reforms.
Oahu Island Burial Council Chairwoman Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu laid out several grievances Tuesday against the State Historic Preservation Division, Honolulu Star-Advertiser reported.
The division failed to help adequately staff island burial councils and enforce burial site violations and has not provided staff training or developed an inventory of Native Hawaiian burial sites, Wong-Kalu said.
Hawaii House Speaker Launches Probe Of State Auditor - Honolulu Civil Beat
Hawaii House Speaker Launches Probe Of State Auditor
House Speaker Scott Saiki said late and unfinished reports could be cause for lawmakers to remove state Auditor Les Kondo. Reading time: 4 minutes.
Launching what he calls “basically an audit of the Auditor’s Office,” Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki has convened a panel to evaluate the State Auditor’s office amid concerns about missed deadlines and “unnecessary litigation.”
The working group will consist of former U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and former state Office of Budget and Finance Director Wes Machida and will be chaired by former Honolulu City Auditor Edwin Young. Saiki has asked them to submit their report on or before April 1.
Hawaii Judiciary Launches Virtual Series On Racial Inequity - Honolulu Civil Beat
Hawaii Judiciary Launches Virtual Series On Racial Inequity
The series will feature sessions on data and criminal justice, implicit bias training and webinars related to the Black Lives Matter movement. Reading time: 3 minutes.
Hawaii’s criminal justice system isn’t immune to racial bias and the Judiciary is committed to addressing that racial inequity, Hawaii Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald said Friday.
He spoke at a Zoom webinar, the first of a series of free virtual panels the Judiciary is hosting along with the Hawaii State Bar Association about achieving racial equity in Hawaii. Friday’s event focused on Black Lives Matter in Hawaii.
Honolulu Mayor-Elect Blangiardi Announces Key Appointments - Honolulu Civil Beat
They include Laura Thielen for Parks and Recreation and Dean Uchida for Planning and Permitting. Reading time: 4 minutes.
Rick Blangiardi, who will be sworn in as the next mayor of the City and County of Honolulu Saturday, announced top leadership and Cabinet positions on Tuesday.
Danette Maruyama
Michael Formby will serve as managing director (as was previously announced), Danette Maruyama will be deputy managing director and Andrew Kawano will be the director of Budget and Fiscal Services.
Formby previously worked as an acting state transportation director, Mayor Kirk Caldwell’s city transportation director, chief of staff to former Congresswoman Colleen Hanabusa, an interim director and member of the board of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation and an interim city councilman.