Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki s High-Profile Agenda Is Raising Questions - Honolulu Civil Beat
Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki’s High-Profile Agenda Is Raising Questions
Saiki has empowered the House to be a much-needed political player this year. But concerns about his methods and his ultimate goal are growing. Reading time: 13 minutes.
House Speaker Scott Saiki offered a taste of his intentions on the House floor last July as the Legislature dramatically shut down at the height of the pandemic.
“We know that this is the most challenging time that Hawaii has faced since statehood,” said Saiki, standing at the speaker’s rostrum. “It will not be easy to reopen Hawaii incrementally while still assuring public health and safety, but this is when we need to lead.”
Tourismâs slow recovery prompts call for âunified travel rules,â but not everyone is on board
Some want a unified Hawaii travel program, critics argue itâs not a âone-size-fits-allâ solution By Chelsea Davis | February 18, 2021 at 10:40 PM HST - Updated February 19 at 4:19 PM
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Travel executives and business leaders say Hawaii needs a more unified travel program that streamlines the process for visitors.
âThe inconsistent travel rules are really having a dramatic impact on our businesses across the islands,â said Rob Robinson, Springboard Hospitality vice president.
He and others say the current rules are confusing, which is slowing tourism and costing them money.
Proposed Budget Cuts Would Basically Gut Hawaii State Auditor s Office - Honolulu Civil Beat
Proposed Budget Cuts Would ‘Basically Gut’ Hawaii State Auditor’s Office
Days after he ordered an investigation into the office, the House Speaker wants to cut the watchdog agency’s budget in half far more than any other state agency. Reading time: 5 minutes.
House Speaker Scott Saiki is proposing deep cuts to the budget for the state Auditor’s office, a watchdog agency that is tasked with holding state agencies accountable for their performance and use of taxpayer dollars.
State Auditor Les Kondo said the cuts would halve the budget for his office from $3.2 million down to $1.52 million and would force him to take steps such as laying off analysts or converting full-time workers to part time. Personnel costs alone for the office are $2.2 million, he said.