By Dan Nakaso Editors' Picks Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading Former House Speaker Scott Saiki has returned to state government service following his 2024 election defeat — this time to help consumers obtain and afford homeowner’s insurance Saiki has served as a special assistant with the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs which has a mandate to protect Hawaii consumers Saiki’s 30 years of experience in the House includes seven years as speaker when he worked with the rest of the state Legislature and Hawaii’s governors navigated property insurance legislation and represented a district that includes high-rise condos in Kakaako and parts of Ala Moana and downtown It all gives him the background to tackle the complex issues dealing with the insurance industry and its decreasing condo coverage while premiums rise “It’s a good fit for him,” Milner said told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser following his primary election defeat in August that he had no interest in pursuing any future elected office or returning to practicing disability and personal injury law that he would take until the end of 2024 to decide his next step Josh Green approached Saiki with an offer to help his administration get on top of Hawaii’s property insurance situation and help change the way insurance gets addressed in Hawaii “Insurance affects everyone in some form,” Saiki told the Star-Advertiser He served in the House when Kilauea erupted in the Puna District of Hawaii island in 1990 wiped out over 100 homes and triggered the exodus of insurance companies willing to sell lava insurance the Legislature in 1991 created the nonprofit Hawaii Property Insurance Association to provide insurance for property owners in what’s called Puna “Lava Zones 1 and 2” who were unable to buy insurance otherwise Then lava from Kilauea burst from the ground and streets again in 2018 including an estimated 200 primary residences causing an estimated $270 million in damage Hawaiian Paradise Park-Hawaiian Beaches-Leilani Estates) — whose district includes Lava Zones 1 and 2 — has introduced House Bill 20 that would establish a Lava Zone Insurance Fund to subsidize the cost of insurance premiums for properties in Lava Zones 1 and 2 Saiki’s old District 25 House seat specifically saw condominium coverage fall requiring owners to seek other insurance companies to make up for dropped coverage that ends up increasing everyone’s overall premiums — a phenomenon that’s happening to condo associations across the state Insurance companies that sell premiums to condos “are reducing the scope of coverage for condos If a building is valued at $400 million they might provide only $25 million for the building which is creating the spike in insurance because the building has to seek other carriers And there are increases in hurricane insurance.” Saiki’s renewed focus on the insurance industry comes during both a local and global insurance crisis Green has vowed to change the insurance model in Hawaii in order to help consumers especially after the 2023 Maui wildfires that killed 102 people The Leeward sides of all islands continue to be at risk of future wildfires especially as the dry summer months approach And the ongoing Los Angeles-area wildfires present a huge unknown for the future of homeowners’ insurance for California the rest of the mainland and Hawaii “It’s a national trend that we have to watch,” Saiki said “What happens in the rest of the U.S Green and lawyers representing insurance companies that have issued homeowners’ insurance payouts following the Maui wildfires remain tangled in a legal fight over the proposed $4.037 billion plan to settle claims against 650 plaintiffs in state and federal courts The issue of whether the insurance companies can seek reimbursement for their insurance payouts from defendants including the state will determine whether Hawaii’s nearly $800 million settlement cost could increase through future lawsuits Investigative stories and local news updates Coverage of the Hawaiʻi State legislature in 2025 Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox Kim Coco Iwamoto has an ambitious plan to try to reorganize the House but her future colleagues are moving ahead with plans of their own Weeks before Kim Coco Iwamoto unseated House Speaker Scott Saiki in the Democratic primary election Saturday she described specific plans for overhauling both the House leadership and the way it operates Iwamoto wants to combine forces with 25 other like-minded House lawmakers — a majority — to demand specific reforms and then offer their support to leaders who pledge to deliver them But hers will be one vote among 51 in the House, and things are moving quickly. While Saiki will soon be leaving office, the ruling Democratic caucus has an array of other players with ambitions of their own Veteran lawmakers said Sunday they have already begun private discussions to select a new speaker Likely candidates for speaker mentioned by insiders include Majority Leader Nadine Nakamura; Water and Land Committee Chair Linda Ichiyama and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chair David Tarnas Nakamura and Ichiyama appear to be the favored candidates in part because they are experienced but also because the selection of either would give the Hawaii House its first female speaker In a year where the presidential election features a woman of color leading a national ticket there is a sense of momentum and history-making among party members But each of the veteran lawmakers being eyed for speaker are ensconced in the existing House leadership structure suggesting there may be more of a leadership shuffle than a revolution in the works The challenge with Iwamoto’s vision for change is partly that it would dilute the power of the new House leadership and it will be unsurprising if the top political echelon chooses to retain that power Iwamoto wants to limit the ability of the Finance Committee to kill bills that have no fiscal implications That technical tweak could have a major impact on which bills pass in the flurry of activity near the close of each legislative session but it is an obscure concept to most people House members walking door-to-door this election cycle surely heard more from their constituents about the cost of housing and homelessness than the little-known procedures the House uses to make new laws a University of Hawaii political scientist said in a recent interview that Iwamoto is advocating “potentially sensible reforms” that others have supported for years But he added: “We have to remember that if you beat the speaker “Kim Coco Iwamoto becomes a brand new junior member of the Hawaii House of Representatives and brand new members usually are expected to sort of be seen and not heard “She would be a high-profile new member but in the House a lot of it is based on seniority.” Iwamoto would have to make the case that her narrow victory over Saiki in the district covering Kakaako and Ala Moana is a clear mandate for change That may be difficult to do after a primary where a historic number of Hawaii adults did not bother to vote Moore said House rules and procedures exist as they are “because the majority of the House wants them that way.” Replacing the speaker “doesn’t mean there will be a radical change in the sentiment of the House about how they currently do business.” At the Democratic Party’s traditional post-primary Unity Breakfast on Sunday morning at the Japanese Cultural Center in Honolulu Saiki sat at the leaders’ table along with Luke and U.S Josh Green honored Saiki from the podium for his “incredible career,” the Democrats packing the room rose to their feet Both she and Senate President Ron Kouchi praised Saiki for his leadership during the Covid pandemic and the Maui wildfires The speaker is traditionally chosen in closed-door meetings of members of the Democratic caucus The selection process often includes agreements among various House factions that determine which members are elevated to other influential leadership positions and committee chairmanships Yamashita and Tarnas are seen as preferring their current chair positions leading the House Finance Committee and the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Those committees are the most powerful and influential in the House and both Tarnas and Yamashita are only in their second year as chairs There is also a sense of a generational shift When Saiki was elected to the House in 1994 he was part of a cohort of so-called progressive members who often chafed against the more mainstream leadership of Speaker Calvin Say There are also younger and hungrier legislators who are playing more prominent roles in passing legislation and speaking out on the issues They added that the final selection of a new speaker will depend on seniority institutional knowledge and the ability to bring legislators together Saiki issued a statement Sunday through his campaign thanking his supporters “I believe the community recognizes our team’s hard work and commitment and I’m proud of what we accomplished in delivering for our schools and addressing the condo insurance crisis,” the statement read “To serve House District 25 has been the honor of a lifetime and I again want to say mahalo for all of the support.” Civil Beat reporter Blaze Lovell contributed to this report Unfortunately, being named a finalist for a Pulitzer prize doesn’t make us immune to financial pressures. The fact is, our revenue hasn’t kept pace with our need to grow, and we need your help Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism Kevin Dayton is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at kdayton@civilbeat.org Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More HONOLULU — In a Primary Election in which Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi retained his seat without need for a runoff and the three Congressional incumbents up for reelection advanced with expected ease it was Kim Coco Iwamoto who pulled off the loudest victory unseating state House Speaker Scott Saiki in their third electoral tilt According to the final readout released on Sunday morning Iwamoto garnered 2,649 votes (49.3%) to edge Saiki (2,395 votes The race was expected to be among the closest of the evening Saiki had defeated Iwamoto by less than 200 votes in each of the last two elections an attorney and former state Board of Education member previously fell short in races for state Senate District 13 and lieutenant governor in 2018 she becomes the first transgender woman elected to the state Legislature Saiki's defeat marks a major shift in the Legislature Saiki has guided the chamber through a tumultuous period that included the COVID-19 pandemic a major bribery scandal that took down former representative Ty Cullen and former Senate majority leader Kalani English Duke Bourgoin (6,174) and Karl Dicks (5,869) Blangiardi needed 51% of votes to avoid a General Election runoff Blangiardi garnered 58% of the vote in a runoff against Keith Amemiya to secure his first term in office four years ago Blangiardi’s Hawaii Island counterpart Mitch Roth is headed for a General Election showdown with Kimo Alameda Alameda tallied the second-highest total with 13,419 (26.7%) Jill Tokuda all resoundingly won their party races with Ron Curtis (14,192) and Clyde Lewman (4,256) far behind Bob McDermott led Republican candidates with 27,815 votes (45%) Tokuda also reached the 80% mark in the first readout with 84,592 votes Augie Tulba and Radiant Cordero all ran unopposed and will automatically return to Honolulu Hale for another term fell just shy of avoiding a General Election race In the race for Calvin Say’s vacated District 5 seat 58%) won easily over Brendan Schultz (3,484 43.6) and will face Republican Samantha DeCorte in the General Election The seat was vacated by longtime senator Maile Shimabukuro who retired following the 2024 legislative session Not wanting to name any of the current candidates as her replacement so close to the election Josh Green appointed Gates’ office manager Cross Crabbe to fill the seat until the current term ends was running to replace Gates in House District 45 24.5%) to earn a showdown with Republican Chris Muraoka in November who left Congress in an unsuccessful run for governor in 2020 topped Saturday’s field for Office of Hawaiian Affairs Big Island trustee Kaapana Aki followed with 34,123 votes (12.6%) The Los Angeles Dodgers dropped their final exhibition game of the Tokyo Series against the Hanshin Tigers as they now turn their attention to the Chicago Cubs for Opening Day But before shifting their focus to the Cubs the Tigers impressed the Dodgers and manager Dave Roberts two of their stars in Hiroto Saiki and Teruaki Sato Saiki pitched five shutout innings while allowing just one hit and adding seven strikeouts to just one walk the Tigers’ rallied and it was capped off by a three-run homer from Sato against Blake Snell It was the second consecutive day the Tigers shut out their MLB opponent with a 3-0 win after doing the same to the Cubs the day prior “Really good ballclub,” Robets said “I thought they played really good defense He’s a really impressive baseball player.” the Dodgers defeated the Yomiuri Giants with a 5-1 victory scoring all five runs against Shosei Togo in his six innings of work end up with three scoreless innings from their relievers “Really good talent,” Roberts said of the NPB “I thought we saw some good arms from the Giants “It’s exciting to know that they have a lot of interest in coming over to the States and they clearly showed they can play at the top level.” it was Hyeseong Kim who caught the eye of the Dodgers’ scouts and Roberts The Dodgers ended up signing Kim when he made the jump to MLB during this offseason so these NPB matchups could have also been an extended scouting opportunity for the Dodgers Have you subscribed to the Dodger Blue YouTube channel Be sure to ring the notification bell to watch player interviews and stay up to date on all Dodgers news and rumors Get breaking Dodgers News direct to your inbox It is rare that the outcome of a single state House primary race could have such profound implications as the contest in Kakaako and Ala Moana this year a veteran lawmaker and one of the most powerful politicians in Hawaii again faces a Democratic primary challenge from community activist Kim Coco Iwamoto More than any other local contest this season that primary race for the urban District 25 House seat that includes Ala Moana Kakaako and downtown has the potential to redistribute political power in Hawaii and redirect the Legislature Saiki has been a fixture of the House leadership for more than a decade rising from outsider status as a political dissident in the House to the job of Democratic majority leader there in 2013 and then seizing control of the speaker’s office in 2017 He has a reputation for keeping a firm grip on the direction of the House — too firm, some of his fellow lawmakers would say — and has famously insisted the House assume a more prominent leadership role in state affairs Saiki was thought to represent a politically “safe” district and when Iwamoto first ran against him in 2020 it marked the first time Saiki had a primary election challenger in that district since 2012 But Iwamoto’s close losses to Saiki may have already influenced state policy One longtime observer of Hawaii politics described Saiki as a “centrist with liberal tendencies,” and suggests he has deliberately tacked to the left to protect himself politically from the more liberal Iwamoto since she made her first run against him in 2020. She argues her primary election challenges influenced Saiki’s approach to issues such as the state minimum wage She attacked Saiki’s position on the minimum wage in the 2020 campaign, and lawmakers approved a measure in 2022 to increase the state minimum in a series of steps until it reaches $18 per hour in 2026 That dramatic increase in the wage floor came after years of what critics characterized as political foot-dragging on the issue Iwamoto was already known to many voters a decade ago for her two terms on the Hawaii Board of Education where she became the first openly transgender official to win statewide office She went on to make unsuccessful runs for the state Senate in 2016 and for lieutenant governor in 2018 finishing fourth in the Democratic primary that year Josh Green won that primary election to become the new lieutenant governor Iwamoto turned her attention to Saiki two years later and self-funded her campaign almost entirely that year Her campaign spent nearly $100,000 on that race and Iwamoto lost by just 167 votes out of a total of 6,619 marked ballots An earlier version of this story noted Iwamoto’s campaign spending report for the 2020 primary shows expenditures of more than $620,000 more than $520,000 of that amount was used to repay loans that she made to her campaign and to refund donations from the 2018 primary In 2022 she spent $180,000 on the primary race against Saiki in a district with newly drawn boundaries, which is a sizable sum for a state House race. Winners in House races that year spent on average just $41,000 But Iwamoto lost that year by just 161 votes out of a total of 5,199 marked ballots Saiki spent more than $386,000 on the primary race that year a self-described community organizer and a lawyer by training said she is challenging Saiki again because her two close primary contests with Saiki were “an affirmation that a lot of people want change.” Iwamoto said she hopes to convince other newcomers to the Legislature to join her in promoting greater transparency in government by drafting and adopting a good government platform and changing current procedures in the House she wants House leadership to hold hearings on all bills that have been co-introduced by a majority of the House members and wants public testimony to be made publicly available for review before the hearings She also wants to strip away power from the House Finance Committee by ending the current House practice of giving that committee the final say over the most important measures each session even when the bills have no financial implications Iwamoto hopes to force those changes by joining with a majority of at least 25 like-minded House members to demand them Once the legislative procedures are opened up at the state Capitol “then I feel like we can attack or address more of the substantive issues” that affect people’s lives “What I’m hoping is that there are enough of us who affirmatively proclaim that we are good government stewards,” she said “That’s how big of a game changer I hope this election will be.” She also supports a statewide citizen initiative process and term limits for state lawmakers Saiki, 60, said he opposes initiatives arguing the initiative process “would allow a majority to extinguish the rights of minorities.” He said he has introduced measures to establish term limits but said even progressive Democrats are divided over that idea Saiki observed that states that have lower term limits seem to have “no continuity or depth of experience On the hot issue of publicly funded elections Iwamoto supports public financing along with a per-person donation limit of $100 per candidate She points out that Saiki benefits greatly from large contributions from monied donors In fact, Saiki raised more money than any other candidate in a competitive legislative race this year collecting more than $300,000 as of June 30 About three dozen of his donors gave the maximum allowed contribution of $2,000 this year Iwamoto blames Saiki for that outcome and suspects Saiki maneuvered behind the scenes to ensure the bill died so he could continue to collect campaign cash said that bill failed because it was not viable as it emerged from the Senate It included no funding and no staff to operate the new public funding program When a bribery scandal erupted with the arrests of House Finance Committee Vice Chairman Ty Cullen and Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English in 2022, Saiki appointed the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct to try to restore some faith in local politics When disaster struck with the Lahaina fire that killed at least 101 people last year, Saiki established interim House working groups to delve into the causes and impacts of the fire and what to do to prevent similar disasters That willingness to plunge the House into crises in recent years has been a striking pattern in Saiki’s tenure as speaker Critics including Iwamoto cite shortcomings in some of those efforts but Saiki’s willingness to direct the House to dive into difficult issues contrasts with previous speakers It has also put Saiki out in front of some of Hawaii’s most controversial issues Another example was the 26-member Select House Committee on Covid-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness, which Saiki appointed early in the pandemic “I want to exercise the full authority of this office in a way that will help us solve problems I’m not hesitant to do that” for issues that rise to the level of statewide importance Saiki said he wants the House to be assertive “We’ve included the community in these important task forces and they’ve all resulted in really significant proposals,” he said The commission on standards of conduct in particular prompted criticism from other lawmakers who were concerned it might produce recommendations that the Legislature would not agree with if we did not create that commission I don’t know if we would have had any legislative proposals to improve standards of conduct that year,” Saiki said Saiki describes his personal politics as mostly “right down the middle,” but said the Legislature during his tenure has advanced many issues that are generally considered “progressive.” to modernize Hawaii’s abortion statute and legalize same-sex marriage Saiki was a very early supporter of same-sex unions and played a key role as House majority leader when the Legislature voted in 2013 to legalize same-sex marriage Saiki also introduced the bill that established mail-in voting as the norm in Hawaii and points to his tax reform efforts as part of his push to try to make Hawaii more affordable for residents He said the out-migration of Hawaii residents is the top issue in the state and those departures are being driven in large part by the cost of living here Saiki said the speaker’s job is to facilitate the wishes of the entire House which often means the speaker will not personally agree with the end result “It’s not as easy as saying the speaker should stand up and dictate all of these specific proposals.” the public doesn’t want a dictator.” Reporter Blaze Lovell will host a discussion with Iwamoto on Friday from 5 to 7:30 p.m in Kakaako at Box Jelly as part of Civil Beat’s election-themed pop-up newsroom event series Saiki declined Civil Beat’s invitation to attend the session Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInHONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - In a contentious race Kim Coco Iwamoto has been elected to House District 25 After losing to Saiki in two prior elections with less than 200 votes Iwamoto mounted a strong campaign against him for the District 25 seat The third printout in the primary election showed Iwamoto secured 2,649 votes House Speaker Saiki’s loss in this tough campaign territory could shake up all of state government If the powerful House speaker can be beaten in this tough campaign territory Josh Green shared his input on the close race because I’ve served with him for all these years,” Green said I can say some very positive things about Kim Coco too passionate...We have never had anything totally in common We ran against each other one time for the lieutenant governorship and there’s going to be a very strong representative that comes out of that district it will be somewhat of a shock to the system at the Legislature if the Speaker doesn’t prevail.” At Iwamoto’s election headquarters at Morning Brew in Kakaako the crowd cheered with excitement over the results of the first printout ever been ahead in a report that given the last three times,” Iwamoto said I was campaigning against the entire Democratic establishment in some ways.” Throughout her campaign she’s emphasized her work to listen to the community “I really look at campaigning as an extension of my community service and community involvement and my philanthropy All of that is tied in to just wanting to improve the quality of life for our neighbors our unsheltered neighbors...that’s what motivates me,” Iwamoto said Signs for the candidates can be seen scattered around the neighborhood and along main roadways Iwamoto said hearing from voters has been encouraging with many saying As a civil rights attorney and former elected school board member Iwamoto ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor and state Senate before beginning three campaigns against Saiki She lost to Saiki by 167 votes in 2020 and 161 votes in 2022 Saiki is endorsed by the governor and other top politicians The match-up will be the most expensive state House campaign Saiki has spent $227,091 and Iwamoto $109,183 One of the big issues present in the district is the rising rates of condo insurance One of Iwamoto’s flyers claimed Saiki failed to prevent the condo insurance crisis Saiki said he’s working with the governor to address the emergency Because both candidates for District 25 are Democrats Click here for full election results. The Los Angeles Dodgers had their struggles against Hanshin Tigers ace Hiroto Saiki and suffered a 3-0 loss in their final exhibition game at the Tokyo Dome It was another impressive showing for the Tigers The Tigers previously defeated the New York Yankees Blake Snell initially matched Saiki with three scoreless innings before running into trouble That coincided with Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman joining Stephen Nelson and Eric Karros in the SportsNet LA booth Snell issued a leadoff walk and that was followed by a single That prompted Friedman to immediately joke perhaps he needed to leave the booth His sentiment lingered as Teruaki Sato lined a three-run home run to right field Snell faced more traffic in the inning but managed to keep the Dodgers’ deficit at 3-0 the same amount he needed to get through the first three frames Snell finished with the three runs allowed and seven strikeouts over 4.1 innings Tyler Glasnow took over in the sixth and pitched four innings in his fourth appearance of the spring It was Glasnow’s first time pitching out of the bullpen this year The Tigers took their at-bat in the bottom of the ninth despite holding a lead so that Glasnow could continue stretching out The Dodgers didn’t get a hit off Saiki until Max Muncy’s leadoff single in the fifth inning Nothing came of it as the Tigers immediately turned an impressive double play to wipe the bases clean Saiki held the Dodgers to just the one hit over five shutout innings Shohei Ohtani went 0-for-2 with a strikeout before being pinch-hit for by Hunter Feduccia in the sixth inning. Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki are hosting a players-only dinner Sunday night in Tokyo Next for the Dodgers is the start of the Tokyo Series on Tuesday They figure to have the support of fans but will be the designated road team in both games against the Chicago Cubs Having  overcome Scott Saiki and the Democratic Party establishment she’s pulling for like-minded candidates in November Richard Wiens is an editor at large for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at rwiens@civilbeat.org Editor’s note: Community activist and former Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto challenged House Speaker Scott Saiki in three straight Democratic primaries coming close twice before defeating him in August In an interview edited for length and clarity she envisions a reform movement she hopes will lead to a more transparent Congratulations on your victory over the speaker of the House you defied the political system we have here that favors powerful incumbents I want to start by thanking Civil Beat and some of the other media sources and people who kept calling out pay-to-play politics That was so important because I believe that the voters in Kakaako making certain claims about the system I’m trying to take on there was some credibility already instilled In 2020 when I first launched my campaign against Scott Saiki I put out a video to announce why I was running and I addressed it head-on I was affected by Scott Saiki holding a press conference before the 2020 legislative session began about not raising the minimum wage that session He did not meet with individual workers and families who are earning a minimum wage and living in poverty having to make choices about paying their rent or putting food on their table He spoke to this very narrow group of employers What was really upsetting was that I called my friends in the Legislature and I said did he get feedback from you whether or not your constituents would be okay with continuing to live with poverty wages?” And my friends at the Legislature said no he did not check in with us during caucus And so that is what actually fueled my taking on such an important person That was not representational democracy to me And I kept thinking about all the people who ran for office to get into that chamber And then to come and surrender everything to a few people who have all the power and all the money What you’re describing could also apply to legislative leadership statewide So what was it about your campaign or your district in particular that made this happen they felt like they weren’t being heard by our representative who happens to be the speaker of the House The first question I would ask every neighbor who I spoke to was “Have you ever actually spoken to our representative?” Because I explained to them that our state representative should be our closest elected official because they have the smallest district compared to the City Council members I think the first year I counted five people who said they’d actually spoken with our representative And then I would tell them how long he’s been in the House and how long he’s been representing our district I educated them about what they should be expecting they appreciated how many times over the three elections I came to their door or their building The condo owners definitely felt like they were being ignored by the legislative leadership They’ve been sounding the alarm on a lot of things for many years and just being continually marginalized And then the other group was the Ward Village Moms He made a lot of promises to them about fixing the crosswalk leading to and from Olowalu Park He made promises to dog lovers that they would get a dog park And all of that took a lot longer than I think he had anticipated Because that was not his way of engaging his district in the past He thought he could just make these promises And we looked and indeed we found video of the press conferences he held right before the election in 2022 And then he had another press conference right before this election about Queen Street They held a press conference the day before ballots arrived in voters’ mailboxes saying “We’re going to fix Queen Street,” after one of my videos had already gone viral about the conditions of Queen Street and after I already sent a mailer to the voters in my district “We’re going to fix Queen Street We’re going to begin construction the day after the election or the weekend So all of these things finally convinced them we should give somebody else a try I’m grateful that they did give me a chance did you hear from Scott Saiki on primary night I’ve never had a conversation with Scott in all these years we’ve just agreed to not necessarily … we have this kind of a different relationship How did it go at the Democrats’ Unity Breakfast the next day It was definitely awkward because people were shocked the whole entire Democratic Party establishment Even the $5 million to repave Queen Street but when you actually go and see what they did all they did was a very superficial coating of the street But they had to do that performance to convince people that he was really going to finally fix the street So there was a lot of waste on behalf of taxpayer dollars Then there’s the indelible image of Saiki and the governor sign-waving right before the primary You’re right that the Democratic establishment was coming together Have you heard from other legislative leaders And I understand that Saiki is still in the building I’m sure he’s still trying to get his people into certain leadership positions But the important message that everyone received is that we shouldn’t go back to the same old status quo We have an opportunity to do it so much better We don’t have to lead and live through fear and a punitive kind of like I’m going have to make sure all your bills are killed.” It’s really what happens when you create that illusion of untouchable power Kalani English (bribery cases) and people thinking because of their proximity to this kind of power base And that’s when people act badly and are even being mean to other people because I’m close to power and you’re not And I just think we’re wasting an opportunity I don’t think the people of Hawaii are being served When you involve these petty politics that often centers around money and that kind of form of legalized corruption that happens there are community groups who are rallying around and I hope the media continues to put pressure on voters and on individual legislators Also the Foley Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct Many of the most impactful proposals that Judge (Dan) Foley came up with were ignored or watered down to a ridiculous result So there’s all of these little things that we need right when we begin our legislative session we appreciate you have the power to veto our bills And we want to make sure that you understand — don’t take it personally — that we are going to schedule a veto override session when you veto a bill that had more two-thirds support Because when we put so much time and energy to pass a bill by a super-majority and you veto it having already served as a member of state Board of Education You also had the tenacity to try three times Can the circumstances that led to your victory be re-created in other districts and lead to the election of more reformers Look at what happened with Shirley Templo and (incumbent Rep.) Sonny Ganaden how she was supported by the establishment And she touted the historic income tax cuts that the Legislature had done if they truly believed that these tax cuts were going to help them But they actually appreciated Ikaika Hussey who had run for some office in that district many “I have reached out to people who have general elections to see what kind of support I can give them.” Then you look at Ben Shafer taking on (former Sen.) Clayton Hee Tina Grandinetti is considered a progressive and she took on the candidate who was endorsed by the former representative for that district So there’s a lot of examples of people who had grassroots campaigns who were intelligent and critical and they don’t look like they go along just to get along Have you been in communication with other reform-minded candidates who are on the ballot this year I’ve reached out to a lot of people who have a really good heart and a really good sense of fairness and who seem to me to be authentically wanting to serve their communities And oftentimes their communities feel very marginalized by the powers that be if they are true to their commitment to their constituents and their communities I definitely want to help them any way can I have reached out to people who have general elections to see what kind of support I can give them if I feel they actually need my support if they’re in a really conservative district because maybe I’m coded as too progressive And so maybe that association wouldn’t be helpful for them but one thing I want to make sure is that people vote on bills the way their districts want them to vote on a bill and that if I have a bill and you vote against that I don’t take that personally and you shouldn’t take it personally if I vote against your bill If I assess and I analyze and I poll my district and and I make the determination that this is a bill that they don’t want Not because you voted against my bill last session so now I have to try to kill your bill And I will never hold a grudge like that kind of weird thing and I really do challenge everyone to show more of that kind of awareness for each other and that kind of mutual respect Do you think it’s possible in today’s Hawaii to elect a majority of legislative reformers in the House and even in the Senate You’ve done great analyses on who answered the questionnaires and specific questions a certain way And the fact that so many of the Civil Beat and Star-Advertiser questionnaires focused on good-government reforms sends a clear message to the lawmakers and quite frankly to the voters who are reading those questionnaires So it’s all part of this group education effort it seems like you’ve had a real focus on the need for rule changes in the Legislature Are the biggest reforms going to be accomplished through rule changes or through bills I think if you read the unfinished business of the Foley commission it involves closing these loopholes for corruption One thing that we have to look for is when we see chairs not getting a huge amount of campaign contributions then we’ll know that the rule changes or the statutes are working If people who have business before the Legislature don’t feel the need to to write checks to a certain few individuals then we know that pay-to-play politics has been neutralized to me it’s evidence that we still have pay-to-play politics if we continue to see a few people getting all of the money we can’t work on substantive changes to the laws until we get the rules of engagement addressed Otherwise they’re going to keep killing bills behind the scenes and we’ll never get to the meat of the goods that are going to help the most people throughout Hawaii in a smart One of the reforms I heard the community asking for is they want to make sure when legislators vote on amendments to a bill they actually have the amendments in front of them Another issue is that money committees should not get referrals of bills that have nothing to do with finance because we know they’re just using that as a bargaining chip to gain power for their certain special projects There’s no justification to continue to do that need to keep being truth-speakers to the public and to each other So there’s all these loopholes that we need to fix And some are statutory and some are rule changes The key is that all of the legislators vote for leadership willing to be more transparent we operated under the Sunshine Law and under the state ethics laws and so does the City Council and many of the county councils Everyone’s operating with this transparency and they take bold moves and they’re held accountable In terms of applying the Sunshine Law to the Legislature a lot of people feel that the length of the session would have to be extended if indeed they couldn’t conduct the public’s business behind closed doors and had to give better notice of hearings and all that But I also want to make sure it’s not an excuse We can limit them if we look at how many bills come out every year Are there things we could do on the front end to streamline things what if every representative was limited to maybe seven bills to introduce I don’t recall you being enthusiastic about holding a constitutional convention when it was on the ballot six years ago some might say that it’s the only way to get some of these major reform proposals before voters One is the ConCon and one is the statewide citizens initiative process There’s always the concern that a ConCon could lead to a full-on gutting of the state constitution It feels like there’s fewer safeguards there than in just having the citizens initiative option where you cannot limit the constitutional protections we already have “Because the Capitol is in the middle of my district I have the unique opportunity to turn my office into the people’s house.” Are there enough citizens who are supporting what the people want to outweigh what the corporate interests want The evidence shows that pay-to-play politics is still alive and well I would look at that as a barometer of whether or not we had the right climate for a constitutional convention What will you be doing between now and January to prepare for your new role as a legislator I’m a community organizer and a civil rights activist and a lot of my networks have been around building coalitions And because the Capitol is in the middle of my district I have the unique opportunity to turn my office into the people’s house So I’m actually allocating space in my office a desk and a phone line and support staff to different groups from the community I’m going to divide it into 10 different shifts five days a week And so maybe the Ward Village Moms one afternoon and the dog lovers of Kakaako another morning And then we have people who want to promote pickleball so there’s these unique communities that I want to make sure that they have access The Ward Village Moms can call the the office that’s responsible for getting that crosswalk finished So just making sure that different city and state agencies are communicating with the consumer We’re definitely going to have a time slot for the neighborhood board but also extended to other neighborhood boards as well making sure they feel like they’re tied into the the resources of this office How can it not turn into a stronger collaboration That’s what happens when you bring people closer to you instead of keeping them out make them feel like this is their government It’s so interesting to me when lawmakers try to stand in front and say I should be thanked for bringing this money to my district.” But it’s the taxpayers’ money It’s the taxpayers who should be thanked for giving a part of their income to pay for this crosswalk We need to keep refocusing it to the contributions made by individual citizens and voters “I’m incredibly honored to be part of that milestone being a trans woman who created the opportunity for this to happen.” I want to go through the inventory of bills passed with super-majorities that were vetoed and never overridden what we’re seeing now with the crisis going on with insurance costs My rent increased so I moved right after the election because my landlord was raising my rent because his insurance went up for his condo When you think about these affordable housing buildings that are now being managed by private developers their insurance is going up and now they’re looking at all of these low-income retirees going I’m going to have to raise your rent.” And they’re showing me the increase in their rents when their retirement income hasn’t gone up So this insurance thing is affecting all strata of economic status and living in Kakaako We need to lean in and actually do something about that as well Is there anything else in terms of government reform that you’d like to address I think we got to speak about a lot of them Just new thoughts about leaving room for this conversation to happen Not feeling threatened by the fact that people are talking about this I think the past speaker and leadership would have found this quite threatening I’m really hopeful that we’re going to have the first female speaker of the House in Hawaii’s history And I’m incredibly honored to be part of that milestone being a trans woman who created the opportunity for this to happen So I’m really excited about that as well This article is part of U.S. Democracy Day, a nationwide collaborative on Sept. 15, the International Day of Democracy, in which news organizations cover how democracy works and the threats it faces. To learn more, visit usdemocracyday.org Honolulu Civil Beat is a nonprofit organization and your donation helps us produce local reporting that serves all of Hawaii Ideas is the place you'll find essays, analysis and opinion on public affairs in Hawaiʻi. We want to showcase smart ideas about the future of Hawaiʻi, from the state's sharpest thinkers, to stretch our collective thinking about a problem or an issue. Email news@civilbeat.org to submit an idea Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed but there were a few surprises in Saturday’s primary election Editor’s note: These results have been updated as of 7:15 a.m In the biggest upset of the primary election Honolulu attorney Kim Coco Iwamoto defeated House Speaker Scott Saiki in the race for House District 25 Saiki had 44.6% of the vote compared to Iwamoto’s 49.3% for the district who has served in the state House since 1994 and has been speaker since May 2017 and there is no other contender in the contest according to results posted Sunday morning “I wasn’t just campaigning against him I was campaigning against the entire Democratic establishment,” Iwamoto told Hawaii News Now Josh Green said his heart goes out to Saiki “It will be somewhat of a shock to the system at the Legislature if the speaker doesn’t prevail,” Green said Saturday night Sign up for the Morning Beat to get our top stories delivered to your inbox. See more newsletters. In other closely watched legislative races who was seeking to reclaim his Senate District 23 on Oahu Shafer will face Republican incumbent Brenton Awa for the district that stretches from Mokuleia to Laie to Kaneohe The contest for the Big Island’s Senate District 1 (Hilo Papaikou and Pepeekeo) featured longtime incumbent Lorraine Inouye against Laura Acasio Inouye won the seat with 57.2% of the vote to Acasio’s 34.7% Cedric Gates maintained an 84-vote lead over Stacelynn Eli in the race for the Democratic nomination to represent the Waianae Coast in Senate District 22 An automatic recount is triggered if candidates are separated by fewer than 100 votes who picked up an endorsement from the area’s former senator had 45.8% of the vote to Eli’s 43.46% who came within 40 votes of votes of beating Shimabukuro in 2022 had a big lead over her opponent in the Republican race for that same district DeCorte had 65.3% to opponent Teri Kia Savaiinaea’s 17.3% The current senator representing that district was also running for the District 45 House seat currently held by Gates Josh Green to appoint Shimabukuro’s replacement just 10 days before the primary election Rather than hand either Gates or Eli a boost by appointing either of them to the vacancy Crabbe lost to West Side educator Desire DeSoto for the Democratic nomination to the Waianae House seat They were trailed by Philip Ganaban (11.2%) and Ranson Soares (3.9%) Businessman Chris Muraoka won the Republican race with 51.3% of the vote compared to his opponent Tiana Wilbur with 32.6% Tina Grandinetti defeated four others in the Democratic race for House District 20 which covers an area of East Honolulu including Kapahulu and parts of Kaimuki James Logue (7.6%) and George Hooker (6.4%) The winner will face Republican nominee Corinne Solomon in the general election Rachel Lamosao and Darius Kila as well as longtime GOP incumbent Gene Ward faced no challengers and won their races outright Thirteen of the seats are on the ballot in 2024 but four unopposed Democratic incumbents — Tim Richards Henry Aquino and Jarrett Keohokalole — were effectively reelected Saturday In another close race that will go to an automatic recount Sonny Ganaden trailed challenger Shirley Ann Templo by 46 votes on Sunday morning Templo had 43% of the vote to Ganaden’s 40.4% in House District 30 May Mizuno was appointed last year to replace her husband who took a job in the Green administration Mizuno had 34.6% of the vote while her Democratic opponent Hussey will face Republican Carole Kaapu for the seat that represents Kamehameha Heights In House District 50 (Kailua and a portion of Kaneohe Bay) incumbent Natalia Hussey-Burdick received 38.5% and lost to challenger Mike Lee who had 54.6% Lee will run against GOP candidate Timothy Connelly in the Nov In the open House District 23 (Moiliili and McCully) Ikaika Olds defeated three candidates with 40.7% of the vote Pat McCain had 10.5% and Paul Robotti 1.5% There is no Republican candidate so Olds has won the seat outright Democratic incumbent Trish La Chica won the primary over Ken Inouye La Chica will face Republican Taylor Kaaumoana in the general election And Democratic incumbent Amy Perruso easily defeated Mark Clemente in the District 46 race to represent a large swath of Oahu from Launani Valley to Mokuleia Perusso had 58.1% of the vote to Clemente’s 31.3% For a complete list of all Hawaii election results, including other state House and Senate races, click here Blaze Lovell is a reporter for Civil Beat. Born and raised on Oahu, Lovell is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. You can reach him at blovell@civilbeat.org. our takes and other stuff you should know about public information government accountability and ethical leadership in Hawaii The members of Civil Beat’s editorial board focused on ‘Let The Sunshine In’ are Patti Epler Ito goes to Washington: Gordon Ito has been a fixture for decades when it comes to insurance regulation He has served as state insurance commissioner under four Hawaii governors and has been in the news a lot lately because of issues raised following the 2023 Maui fires and rising condominium premiums Ito may now be taking his expertise to Washington, D.C. This summer President Joe Biden nominated him to be the independent insurance expert on the Financial Stability Oversight Council The council was established in 2010 under the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act to monitor the stability of America’s financial system Judging from Ito’s appearance in July before U.S “As Hawaii’s insurance commissioner, Mr. Ito has been a strong proponent for a fair and competitive insurance marketplace and for consumer protection,” Brown said at the time he will leave a big pair of slippers to fill The Blog hears that our soon-to-be ex-House Speaker Scott Saiki is on the short list to get the gig it could be elevated to a Cabinet-level position to help work on the state’s growing insurance crises it’s Saiki’s sign-waving friend Gov USA Today is the latest media outlet finding our former Hawaii congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard to be a legitimate news subject The national news outlet cranked out a story on our current Hawaii congresswoman Jill Tokuda posting her disapproval on X and Facebook that Gabbard was being asked to join Donald Trump’s presidential transition team “Trump and Tulsi do not represent Hawaii values and fail to fight for our freedoms We will reject their extremism this November,” Tokuda vowed USA Today helpfully explained in its story Thursday that “pono” is a term in Hawaiian culture “that signifies righteousness By saying Gabbard’s endorsement of Trump is ‘not pono,’ Tokuda argues it goes against the ethical balance Hawaiians hold dear.” As a current Congresswoman from Hawaii, it is disheartening to see a predecessor of mine join Donald Trump's transition team. Trump and Tulsi do not represent Hawaii values and fail to fight for our freedoms. We will reject their extremism this November.This is not pono. https://t.co/bqNPYm4rZv Tokuda, a Democrat, holds the 2nd Congressional District seat once held by Gabbard (2013-2021), who left the Democratic Party in 2022 The Blog finds it difficult to believe these two politicians represented the same seat in Congress just two years apart Spreading sunshine all over the place: Score another win — a big one — for The Public First Law Center and its executive director Brian Black. Last week, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with Black that Hawaii judges shouldn’t be automatically sealing health and medical records just because they’re part of a court case The three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit overruled a bunch of obviously unenlightened lower court judges when it found that the press and the public have a “presumed right of access to court proceedings and documents.” But the courts had for years been automatically sealing medical and health records without considering whether they should be had wanted its own medical records to be publicly accessible the courts still said nope when the law center still shared a name with Civil Beat Black filed to unseal the competency evaluations of a guy named Ramoncito Abion who was ultimately convicted of assault for hitting a gas station employee with a hammer and then telling police he heard voices The state courts including the Hawaii Supreme Court refused to unseal the records so Black took the state court administration to federal court where he lost the first round But thankfully Black is a persistent champion of the public’s right to know and he pursued this case in the federal appellate court The case is part of an initiative Black started years ago to challenge the sealing of records for no discernible good reason. Part of that effort, which continues as time permits, involves cracking open “confidential” lawsuits that are completely hidden from the public. As Civil Beat reporter Christina Jedra wrote in this story there are at least 600 of those to be unearthed “This income tax cut will result in higher take-home pay and provide relief to hundreds of thousands of children and their parents.” Civil Beat asked candidates to answer some questions about where they stand on various issues and what their priorities will be if elected The following came from Scott Saiki, Democratic candidate for State House District 25, which covers Ala Moana, Kakaako and Downtown Honolulu. His primary opponent is Kim Coco Iwamoto Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the Primary Election Ballot What is the biggest issue facing your district Income tax relief: The Legislature approved the largest income tax cut in history. Kakaako is home to many young persons and families A family of four with a household income of $90,000 will see a $20,000 tax savings over the next seven years GET relief for doctors and medical professions: This is another historic bill Doctors and medical professionals who treat Medicare Medicaid and Tricare patients will be exempt from the GET This will lower the cost of practice and provide greater access to medical.  Ensuring safe roads for pedestrians and cars: Following the tragic death of a McKinley High School student I worked with the Hawaii Department of Transportation and the Honolulu Department of Transportation Services to install speed humps raised crosswalks and red-light cameras on the highly trafficked roads surrounding McKinley the city and the state homeless coordinator to treat The Legislature approved a law that expedites the process to commit incompetent persons. In April a new triage center opened in Iwilei to treat mental health and medical patients This program is located in a city facility and is funded by the state government How do you feel about the massive income tax cut just approved by the Legislature and the governor Do you have any concerns that it will force reductions in state services in the years to come the Legislature approved the largest state income tax cut in history This tax cut is extraordinary. It moves Hawaii from the second-highest to the fourth-lowest income tax rate in the U.S This income tax cut will result in higher take-home pay and provide relief to hundreds of thousands of children and their parents The tax brackets and standard deduction had not been adjusted in several decades This tax cut is truly historic and it will help many many families cope with the cost of living in Hawaii.  This is why many organizations supported this legislation Hawaii Family Caregiver Coalition and Hawaii Primary Care Association I am confident that the state will withstand any revenue loss The historical trend of increased GET and TAT collections will likely continue and offset revenue loss from the income tax cut The governor also has the flexibility to reallocate funds if there is a shortfall within any program area.  Hawaii continues to struggle with pay-to-play politics and corruption in government What meaningful reforms do you think would change state government for the better The House was the first to act following the indictment of two former legislators on bribery charges In addition to publicly condemning their conduct the House created an independent commission to assess and recommend improvements to our ethics laws The creation of a commission like this was unprecedented and reflected the House members’ conviction to reform government The commission was chaired by Judge Dan Foley and consisted of representatives of the League of Women Voters attorney for Hawaii and former House GOP leader Barbara Marumoto This commission is now known as “the Foley Commission.” The Foley Commission made 31 recommendations to improve ethics the Legislature adopted 22 of the recommendations through new laws or internal rules This included a ban on holding campaign fundraisers during legislative sessions increasing penalties for campaign finance violations and strengthening gift and lobbying laws As Judge Foley stated:  “the Legislature did a most commendable job in hearing and acting on the commission’s bills and their counterparts Hawaii will have more transparent and accountable government as a result.” Candidates often say they will support reform proposals in the Legislature And yet major reform proposals don’t pass Will you back good-government proposals even if it means going against leadership can you point to an example of a reform that you supported As speaker of the House of Representatives I have made clear to House members that I expect them to exercise their independence and to vote their conscience on legislation It is not the role of the House leadership to dictate how they vote.  Do you support comprehensive public financing of elections for candidates who choose to participate?  Why or why not Karl Rhoads and I introduced legislation to fully fund a comprehensive public financing program for state and county candidates the proposal was not successful after objections were raised by the Campaign Spending Commission primarily due to the lack of funding and staffing for the program This legislation will surely be introduced in the next session and the public should weigh in on the merits and cost of this proposal.  Public financing is a voluntary program and the state’s ability to regulate campaign finance and spending is limited by several rulings from the U.S Supreme Court that prevent states from limiting the amount of money that a candidate can spend on his or her election enable PACs to make independent campaign expenditures on behalf of a candidate and authorize unlimited corporate contributions.  Hawaii is the only Western state without a statewide citizens initiative process I do not support an initiative process that would allow a majority to extinguish the rights of minorities similar to a situation where five judges can unilaterally vote to end women’s rights and civil rights in the United States Thanks to their campaign war chests and name familiarity incumbents are almost always reelected in Hawaii legislative races Should there be term limits for state legislators as there are for the governor’s office and county councils There are pros and cons to legislative term limits as evidenced by the difference of opinion within the Hawaii Democratic Party I have seen firsthand how term limits affect other states — legislators basically cycle through their terms and take turns serving in leadership positions without having an incentive to develop themselves it seems that there is no continuity or depth of experience there is value in having a system that allows for more and new participation while also allowing legislators to serve in different leadership roles Term limits should be reasonable and allow legislators to learn and grow Every effort needs to be made to ensure that the Legislature is an independent and strong body that can serve as a check within and outside of government I have introduced term limit legislation in the past and look forward to further exploring this proposal What will you do to ensure accountability at the Legislature Do you support ideas such as requiring the Sunshine Law to apply to the Legislature or banning campaign contributions during session The Legislature banned campaign contributions from lobbyists during legislative sessions The House formed the Foley Commission to come up with recommendations with respect to accountability and transparency There is always room for improvement and we continue to discuss and evaluate its recommendations the Sunshine Law will have to be evaluated in terms of its potential conflict with cultural values I introduced legislation at the request of the Mauna Kea Authority to partially exempt the authority from the Sunshine Law kupuna requested this exemption because they felt that the strictures of the Sunshine Law prevented them from engaging in deliberations that touched upon very personal We should think about whether the Sunshine Law advances the current effort to incorporate more cultural deliberation in our decision-making process.  How would you make the Legislature more transparent and accessible to the public? Opening conference committees to the public? Stricter disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists? How could the Legislature change its own internal rules to be more open The House has demonstrated its commitment to opening up the process and improving how we make decisions.  the Legislature continued to hold virtual public hearings which allow for long distance participation The House also took significant steps to amend its rules to strengthen voting procedures in committee hearings conflict and recusal standards and explanations of bills prior to their being voted upon at conference committees.  There is always room for improvement and the House will continue its work to improve our decision-making process.  Many people have talked about diversifying the local economy for many years now and yet Hawaii is still heavily reliant on tourism should be done differently about tourism and the economy Efforts are underway to improve tourism’s impact on our residents It is obvious that there are limitations to the number of tourists that can be accommodated at any given time It may be useful for an agency like the Hawaii Tourism Authority to conduct an assessment of the state’s visitor carrying capacity and the visitor population’s impact on our environment and economy The state needs to facilitate diversification by ensuring that Hawaii offers sufficient workers Hawaii needs to be viewed as a stable place to do business This requires continual improvement of our taxation An estimated 60% of Hawaii residents are struggling to get by a problem that reaches far beyond low-income and into the middle class What ideas do you have to help the middle class and working families who are finding it hard to continue to live here The Legislature took cost of living head-on in the 2024 legislative session in two important areas: taxation and housing both of which have caused residents to leave Hawaii the state income tax will dramatically decrease for Hawaii families The Legislature also approved two housing bills that are unprecedented in addressing the zoning backlog that we see at the county level The two bills set state policy in two areas — that two ADUs may be built on residential lots deemed appropriate by the counties and the inclusion of residential housing in commercial zoned areas.   The ADU bill does not preempt the counties It preserves home rule by allowing counties to set the standards for ADU development and to consider such factors as infrastructure Counties retain the authority to approve and deny ADU permits.  The state and local governments are not always in a position to fund housing development it was important that we addressed the zoning backlog Counties will have two years to adopt their standards and I am confident that more units will be built as a result.  Spending by political action groups is way down this year with a dearth of competitive races A new super PAC with funding from one of Hawaii’s largest public sector unions is giving a small advertising boost to House Speaker Scott Saiki’s reelection bid is funded by the Hawaii Government Employees Association the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly and the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union Local 675 Each union donated about $5,000 to the new PAC according to its chairperson Emmanuel Zibakalam But the group has only spent about $4,000 so far on advertising supporting Saiki Zibakalam said Saiki is currently the only candidate the group is backing known as independent expenditure committees in Hawaii are allowed to receive unlimited donations and spend as much as they want supporting or opposing candidates as long as they don’t coordinate with their campaigns But they don’t appear to be spending much this year Super PACs are running fewer ads and spending less in Hawaii compared to four years ago when several groups waded into races for Honolulu mayor There are fewer candidates running this year compared to 2020 Building a Bright Future is the only super PAC running ads for candidates so far this year.  the state’s largest super PAC funded by contractors who do business under agreements with the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters transferred $7 million to the Hawaii Carpenters Market Recovery Program Fund Money is typically funneled through that fund to the super PAC but offloading the cash is likely a sign that the super PAC doesn’t plan to spend much this year on races The Planned Parenthood Alliance spent just over $3,000 on ads supporting Saiki It also paid $3,000 for ads supporting Ken Inouye Trish La Chica for the Democratic nomination to a Mililani House seat The Planned Parenthood PAC also spent $68 on digital ads for Sen who is running against Laura Acasio for a Hilo Senate seat The other 14 super PACs registered with the state reported spending no money to influence elections between Jan Two super PACs weren’t required to file spending reports this week because they don’t intend to spend more than $1,000 during elections this year The Our Hawaii PAC is funded by the nonprofit Our Hawaii created by Evan Weber and former state legislator Kaniela Ing A separate Our Hawaii PAC that coordinates with campaigns spent about $45 on in-kind advertisement donations to Natalia Hussey-Burdick The group’s chairperson and treasurer are officers of the local chapter of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union’s Longshore Division.  literally “sun head,” is also a Hawaiian word for stevedore Other political groups spending money this year include the Huli PAC, which is backing a slate of candidates for various Big Island races.  Mink PAC spent about $3,500 on mailers for Tina Grandinetti who is in a crowded race for an East Honolulu House seat And the General Contractors Association of Hawaii spent just over $10,000 on newspaper ads endorsing a slew of candidates including mayors Rick Blangiardi and Mitch Roth This story was supported with funding from the Data-Driven Reporting Project The Data-Driven Reporting Project is funded by the Google News Initiative in partnership with Northwestern University | Medill Portola High School girls basketball standout Nina Saiki joined a special club earlier this week the senior scored her 1,000th career point in a 63-33 victory over Paradise Honors “Nina joins her older sister Moka Saiki on the 1,000 point scorers list,” said Portola Coach Brian Barham Nina is Portola’s leading scorer averaging 13 points per game Nina is the fourth Bulldog to hit the 1,000 point milestone.” Send basketball news to timburt@ocsportszone.com  Today's print edition Home Delivery Hiroto Saiki got the best of Shohei Ohtani this time and helped the Hanshin Tigers leave their mark on the Tokyo Series Saiki silenced the Los Angeles Dodgers’ bats for five innings and slugger Teruaki Sato hit a three-run home run off two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell to lead the Tigers to a 3-0 win over the World Series champions in front of a crowd of 42,059 at Tokyo Dome on Sunday.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); and we were supported by our fans,” Tigers manager and former MLB player Kyuji Fujikawa said In a time of both misinformation and too much information quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing Your subscription plan doesn't allow commenting. To learn more see our FAQ Sponsored contents planned and edited by JT Media Enterprise Division Hope everyone is rocking out to the latest BAND-MAID album Epic Narratives and lead vocalist SAIKI shared with us their takes on penning each of the 14 mesmerizing tracks From the flesh-tearing heaviness to the wistfully sentimental tap into each member’s inner core as they recall pouring everything into their most emotionally charged record to date Read on below as you enjoy BAND-MAID’s latest music video to album cut Forbidden tale And make sure to stay tuned for more BAND-MAID info and reports right here on JROCK NEWS KANAMI: This is an evolved form of NO GOD I wrote it envisioning everyone jumping up and down together I wanted to turn this into an okyuji (live) staple MIKU & SAIKI: Magie means “magic” in German We knew upon hearing the demo tape that it would become an okyuji hit When our bodies and hearts move to live music “magic” became a fitting word for the title KANAMI: This song is centered on the main riff MIKU & SAIKI: Within each chaotic battle in the anime Kengan Ashura emotions collide as the characters speak with their fists We wanted to express their red-hot passion through the lyrics KANAMI: It’s the ending theme to the anime [Grendizer U] I didn’t intend to write a song that sounded too intense The intro kicks off with a pretty impactful melody I inserted “ulalala” in the lyrics initially as a placeholder MIKU & SAIKI: We wrote the lyrics about the twin sisters Teronna and Rubina [in Grendizer U] whose thoughts become one as they grapple with their resentment for the story’s protagonist and we wanted to convey their determination in fighting through conflicting emotions There was a lot of colorful imagery in the source material so we utilized words like “red” and “blue” as hooks throughout the lyrics KANAMI: Since this was a collaboration with The Warning we wanted to make something that sounded nothing like what either band had done before I pictured a song that everyone could sing to MIKU & SAIKI: We aimed to depict powerful female figures There were subtle nuances and tones that we fine-tuned in our discussions with The Warning This new approach in creating and feeling out material together was a very stimulating experience for all of us KANAMI: I wrote this while pondering the meaning of life—what it means to truly live Embedded within the themes is the message that life has its ups and downs I was told I should compose a very progressive piece with lots of scenes unfolding MIKU & SAIKI: What does it mean to live We felt tasked with capturing a colossal message Even though we live only in this time and place others could carry on our legacy long after our bodies perish Our music will likely live much longer than us and so we wanted to leave behind our words and songs for future generations We wonder if music has the power to connect us to people we’d never meet in our lifetime guitarist of the band Incubus] bore the main riff and it was like an entirely different flavor from what I usually output I really struggled to work this into an arrangement that I could sense his warmth from the riff I made it my goal to warm the hearts of everyone who heard it MIKU & SAIKI: This was our first song entirely in English we just felt consumed by kindness and warmth We used “bestie” as an allegory for these feelings and couldn’t help but hope we would remain forever close KANAMI: I wondered what it would be like if I wrote for [rhythm guitarist MIKU’s side-project and alter ego] cluppo it ended up sounding very typical of BAND-MAID I think MIKU can shine both as a guitarist and a vocalist in this one I wanted to lay down a guitar solo with her so I turned the leads into something of a duet MIKU & SAIKI: When we heard the demo tape We also realized that many people are balancing a duality —we can’t be bright and cheery all the time The post-chorus section is sung with subtle changes in the delivery You can see quite a bit of contrast within this one song KANAMI: Songs that sound a tad melancholic tend to linger in our hearts I know we’re all fighting our own battles—there are times when we can wear ourselves out and get dragged into darkness—and so I thought it would be nice if this feeling of compassion could spread within all of us MIKU & SAIKI: We sensed both sweetness and sorrow from the demo tape and began linking together all the complex emotions that come with caring for another person Just imagine writing a letter to someone you’re longing to see wishing the wind would carry you anywhere and everywhere KANAMI: I wrote this thinking we ought to play this at Yokohama Arena SAIKI wanted a piece that she could really lean into and emote MIKU & SAIKI: At one point, we planned to close out our Yokohama Arena set with this one It’s a love song that gently envelopes you with a sense of kindness KANAMI: Parts of the melody were written while touring in the US Being able to finally play live and see everyone’s faces in person brought so much happiness that I wanted to pack my joy into this song MIKU & SAIKI: We recalled feelings of gratitude to be able to tour the US following the pandemic and to spend time together with our masters and princesses [fans] There are bits from our speeches on stage that we worked into the lyrics The title Memorable itself was one of the topics that we talked about with our US audience KANAMI: I wanted a song that would pull in the listener from the get-go. It’s another fast-paced track that’s a bit different in taste from what I was aiming for in Unleash!!!!! MIKU & SAIKI: We wanted to tear down all barriers as we sought to be free. For MIKU, it’s a modern take on the lyrics in the song FREEDOM KANAMI: I poured my energy into the main riff in order to create a more aggressive song It’s supposed to showcase the power behind BAND-MAID MIKU & SAIKI: The lyrics are more straightforward than anything we’ve written The title translates to “you and me” in French because our impression is that French movies tend to portray very powerful women but those sentiments gradually break away after the intro we wanted to make our next four-on-the-floor beat into a summer tune The melody instantly reminded us of a Japanese matsuri summer festival which are part of the Japanese summer tradition We hope you also enjoy the sporadic twin vocals throughout this song but then SAIKI mentioned that a BAND-MAID record isn’t complete without an instrumental Composing this made me feel like we found the missing piece to a puzzle MIKU & SAIKI: The title is all about climbing higher and all the staff supporting BAND-MAID for the comments on the album Topic Artist While Hawaii’s top congressional leaders easily won their Democratic primaries on Saturday the Aloha State saw its share of competitive races − and surprises − at the local level Here are some key takeaways as the state gears up for Election Day in the fall: In a stunning upset, Hawaii House Speaker Scott Saiki lost the Democratic primary for the House District 25 seat to Kim Coco Iwamoto a progressive civil rights attorney and former school board member who has represented the urban district that includes Ala Moana narrowly won previous primary battles against Iwamoto in 2020 and 2022 During this year's campaign, Saiki praised the accomplishments of Hawaii's previous legislative session which included efforts ranging from disaster relief to tax cuts attacked Saiki's record on key issues such as condo insurance rates and the minimum wage arguing that the longtime lawmaker had failed to adequately address the needs of his constituents Iwamoto will become the first openly transgender official to join the Hawaii House of Representatives including the Hawaii State Teachers Association Shafer's victory sets up a closely watched general election against Republican State Sen who ran unopposed in the Republican primary The race is expected to be one of the most competitive in Hawaii as Awa and Shafer vie for control of one of the state's few swing districts More: Familiar faces Kai Kahele, Clayton Hee re-emerge for Hawaii’s primary elections Ken Inouye, grandson of late Sen. Daniel Inouye, loses primaryState Rep. Trish La Chica has clinched the Democratic nomination for the Hawaii State House's 37th District, beating Ken Inouye, son of the late U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye La Chia’s campaign focused on educational issues who is an assistant to the vice chancellor at the University of Hawaii-West Oahu campaigned on debates such as the cost of living and the future of retirees and the younger generation Mark Nakashima won 100% of the vote in the Democratic primary for Hawaii's 1st House District remained on the ballot as the sole candidate Josh Green will now appoint a replacement from a list of three candidates provided by the Democratic Party Hawaii Island Mayor Mitch Roth secured roughly 39% of the votes in Saturday’s primary but fell short of the 50% needed to win outright Roth and Alameda will likely face each other in the general election as the remaining candidates – Breeani Kobayashi a pastor and former lieutenant governor candidate – did not pick up enough support to qualify for the runoff More: Hawaii lawmaker is guaranteed an election win. But there's one problem Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X Read the full story on SportsLook - [NPB NOTEBOOK] Hanshin Tigers Starter Hiroto Saiki is Excelling on the Mound The Hanshin Tigers may not be on quite the torrid pace they were in 2023 when they won their first championship in 38 years but one player is exceeding all expectations in 2024 That would be starting pitcher Hiroto Saiki who has a Central League-leading eight wins along with 85 strikeouts and a stellar 1.11 ERA in 14 games the 26-year-old right-hander from Hyogo Prefecture turned in another gem Saiki struck out six and allowed just one hit and two walks over seven scoreless innings at Hiroshima's Mazda Stadium to help his team to a 3-0 win over the front-running Carp Hanshin lefty Suguru Iwazaki (3-3) worked the ninth to earn the win The game was a classic pitchers' duel between two of the top starters in Nippon Professional Baseball Hiroshima starter Masato Morishita struck out nine over eight scoreless innings the Tigers broke out in the 10th on a one-out walk a single by Kairi Shimada and a throwing error before two more runs scored on back-to-back hits The three runs the Tigers scored in the top of the 10th marked the first time this season Hanshin scored more than one run in any inning beyond the ninth Saiki finished the 2023 season with an 8-5 record In addition to his impressive number of wins this season To what does he attribute his success this season In an interview with national broadcaster NHK Saiki said the results this season are due to the fact that he has added a number of pitches to his repertoire Saiki relied on his fastball and forkball but he says that made him too predictable to batters So now he has added off-speed pitches like curveballs and sliders I can now throw a curve or a slider to get ahead in the count," Saiki told NHK "I have been using such pitches more and more and it appears to be paying off." Saiki was chosen by Hanshin as the third pick in the 2017 draft He got six wins in his second year in 2018 but then injured his right elbow and underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a ligament Saiki got advice from former Hanshin closer Kyuji Fujikawa Saiki has indeed made an impressive comeback Saiki was first among Central League pitchers in voting for this month's NPB All-Star Series with 451,456 votes, more than double the amount received by second-place Katsuki Azuma of the Yokohama DeNa BayStars the Tigers (36-35-5) are right in the thick of things in the CL three games back of the front-running Hiroshima Carp Continue reading the full story on SportsLook Author: Jim Armstrong The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook You must be logged in to post a comment ' + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.webview_notification_text + ' " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_title + " " + scriptOptions._localizedStrings.redirect_overlay_text + " Kondo redux: The House speaker and state auditor are at it again revoking the procurement authority of Les Kondo the governor and the Senate president saying the state procurement officer was concerned Kondo’s staff hadn’t completed procurement training developed procurement policies and procedures and used proper procurement forms But this just in: Kondo shot back his own memo on Wednesday saying the procurement office determined in May there were no violations “Since you broadcasted SPO’s rushed and erroneous determination to all members of the House as well as to officials throughout the Executive Branch and University of Hawaii President Lassner we feel compelled to correct any mischaracterizations and untruths about our procurement activities,” Kondo wrote “You appear not to have done so on your own.” Kondo said that Saiki’s revocation is also “very likely to cause actual financial harm” to the state “including jeopardizing future federal funding that supports numerous state programs.” “You are an elected official and leader of the House,” Kondo wrote “For you to cause the state financial harm in this way is irresponsible.” Kondo’s memo was copied to all members of the House and Senate Saiki had no comment on the memo for The Blog Broad swath: The Hawaii State Ethics Commission is considering legislation to make it illegal or unethical for anyone involved in awarding or administrating state contracts to be involved in political fundraising The idea comes from Commissioner Cynthia Thielen, who was inspired by The New York Times and Civil Beat story “Inside the Late-Night Parties Where Hawaii Politicians Raked In Money.” The investigative piece focused on government contractors donating generously to Hawaii politicians Thielen said language in the bill should focus on department duties and deputies directly involved with state contracts “That’s where things become very unethical in my mind,” she said at a commission meeting Wednesday said his office could look into how other states address contracting issues that a large number of state employees might be impacted if such a bill were to become law Having the law cover “a broad swath,” she said Chair Wesley Fong and Commissioner Robert Hong agreed that Thielen’s proposal was something worth the Ethics Commission looking into as long as concerns about legality are addressed Harris agreed to report back to the board on what he finds out No aloha for the 2nd Amendment: Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Todd Eddins, who increasingly is speaking out on national legal issues On Wednesday the Second Amendment Foundation filed an amicus brief with the U.S Supreme Court supporting Hawaii resident Christopher L Wilson’s petition to have his case heard by the high court Wilson disagrees with a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling in February that determined individual citizens in the Aloha State do not have the right to carry firearms for self-defense outside their homes Eddins had written “The spirit of Aloha clashes with a federally-mandated lifestyle that lets citizens walk around with deadly weapons during day-to-day activities; that the culture from the founding of the country shouldn’t dictate contemporary life.” To SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M the state court’s ruling amounted to stating that the Second Amendment does not actually exist in Hawaii “This declaration is so astonishing in its nature that the U.S Supreme Court simply cannot allow one-tenth of the Bill of Rights to be arbitrarily erased,” Gottlieb said in a press release “Hawaii is still part of the United States “This is nothing short of open rebellion against the Supremacy Clause.” a 92-year-old atomic bomb survivor from Hiroshima has begun sharing his harrowing experiences from nearly 79 years ago a story he had kept to himself for decades The catalyst for Saiki’s decision to speak out about the horrors of nuclear warfare is Russia’s invasion of Ukraine “People around the world don’t know the misery of nuclear weapons We have an obligation to inform them,” he said Saiki hopes that spreading the reality of the bombing will bring the world closer to the abolition of nuclear weapons and a world without war.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); then 13 and a second-year student at Hiroshima Daiichi Junior High School (now Hiroshima Kokutaiji High School) experienced the bombing from his home about 2 kilometers east of the epicenter He was about to run an errand for his mother when he saw a blinding light I’ve seen three speaker votes close-up It’s an exciting time for fans of political intrigue but less so for fans of good governance In Hawaii’s one-party dominant political system few elections are more exciting than the one facing legislators who must soon choose a new House Speaker Unlike the public vote we should all participate in on Nov a vote for speaker (or any partisan leader for that matter) is much more “Game of Thrones” and significantly less “West Wing.” it may be the most riveting time at the Legislature The issue came to the fore after House Speaker Scott Saiki, a veteran lawmaker and one of the state’s most powerful politicians, lost his Democratic primary race to community activist Kim Coco Iwamoto That means legislators will have to choose a new speaker for the upcoming session It’s not the first time the powerful post has been up for grabs I’ll admit I found them exhilarating and infuriating in equal measure Here are the basics: House members vote for the speaker and anyone wishing to become speaker needs 26 of 51 votes to win Given a less-than-competitive election cycle speaker hopefuls this year already have a pretty good idea of whom they need to win But nothing official can happen until after the general election is decided Once the state House representatives are chosen the candidates for speaker will have their official roster of members to solicit their support any candidate who’s obtained enough signed commitments will become the presumptive speaker until they can be officially voted in on Opening Day those signatures should come from within their own party Speaker candidates can get votes from any member and offer pretty much anything within the speaker’s powers to grant In addition to an outsized influence on which bills actually get heard the House speaker determines committee chairmanships vice chairmanships and other powerful positions They decide budgets for permanent and session hires the office everyone moves into and where each representative sits on the floor All of it is up for negotiation while speaker candidates are counting votes I heard rumors and read news stories about the drama that took place among the Democratic majority every two years when a new Legislature was elected (or reelected) It was at least the fourth time the “dissident faction,” led by then-Reps. Saiki and Sylvia Luke challenged Speaker Calvin Say’s reelection to the post The ongoing rivalry had enough of an epic quality that it was the first lore I learned as a session staffer.  both Saiki and Luke had helped Say oust Rep but relationships eventually frayed when his allies saw Say wanted to hold on to power beyond the six years they expected concerned that his request had only worsened the situation “with more the fight once again spilled into public view and dragged on through December threatening to disrupt the start of the session It appeared the dissidents had a better chance then ever I was the director of House minority research which put me in charge of drafting any memo or press release put out on behalf of the Republican caucus So I knew early on that Ward entered into a conversation with Say about using Republican votes to break the stalemate I spent many hours prepping negotiations that ranged from what exactly the members could say to the media to what we should demand in return for our support Watching Say operate as speaker felt like a free masterclass in political negotiations. At the end of it, the Republican caucus “offered” all of their votes. Say said he was honored to have their endorsement but he wanted to work within the Democratic caucus first Republicans didn’t get any leadership positions or office upgrades and the speaker supplied staff meals for long weekends everything is up for grabs in these negotiations We had a lot more sympathy for the dissidents’ cause than our predecessors so when we had a chance to align with Saiki and Luke to restore Souki to the speakership Johanson made clear that we wanted to be a part of a real Our votes wouldn’t be used just as a hammer to get Democrats in line While Johanson was in charge of the actual negotiation which was highly suspicious of the new Souki The objections ran from Saiki’s supposed “anti-Christian agenda” to Souki’s alleged determination to “turn Hawaii into Las Vegas.” My initial foray into speaker politics taught me that everything — even staff meals — were up for negotiation I spent my time ferreting out demands from our members Do they want to sit in the first or second row on the House floor Do they want an office that provides their staff a window and I learned in real time just how many outside influences can impact these decisions Donors who were friends with Say or Rep. Marcus Oshiro, who was going to take over for Say called me to suggest that I change my mind Religious leaders told me that Johanson and I were being “led astray,” and our decision would be detrimental to religious freedom I received daily “counsel” that Souki was using us but Johanson and I were too young and too naive to understand I fielded frantic calls from Republicans both inside and outside our caucus who were all hearing the same but I have every reason to believe that the very same things that went on then are underway now you can be certain every frontrunner is going to be pulling levers to get the votes they need Policy decisions might play into the debate and I do hope that many of our newer progressive legislators will demand meaningful action on housing sustainability and other critical needs before committing their support Power and status will also be high on the list of demands for most members as well as control over the Judiciary or Finance committees Who gets a seat on the floor where the press or gallery members can read your computer screen Chris Zhu from the SIS board of directors presents Ms Mili shows her medal for outstanding service IN a heartfelt ceremony held Monday at Saipan International School the board of directors presented a special resolution recognizing Mili Saiki for her extraordinary service to the school since its founding the board awarded Saiki the SIS Medal for Outstanding Service and officially named the school’s central building Ms This event took place during Saipan International School’s 30th anniversary year a milestone that celebrates three decades of academic excellence Saiki has been with the school since its founding serving as a guiding light and steadfast presence through every chapter of its journey Saiki’s service to our school is nothing short of legendary,” said Dr “This recognition is especially meaningful as we reflect on our 30-year history Mili has been with us from the very beginning and tireless devotion helped shape SIS into the school it is today Naming our central building after her is a permanent reminder of her legacy.” The ceremony followed closely on the heels of an incredibly successful Spring musical held last Thursday showcasing the vibrant creativity and talent of SIS students — values that Saiki has long championed The week of celebration will culminate in a 30th Anniversary Gala on May 10 and friends to honor the past and look ahead to the school’s bright future Mili Saiki Hall was met with a standing ovation from students This recognition reflects the enduring values of Saipan International School and the profound role individuals like Mili Saiki play in building strong Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Japan; Hanshin Tigers starting pitcher Hiroto Saiki (35) walks off of the field after the top of the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Tokyo Dome Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images The clash between the Diamondbacks and the Mets serves as a turning point in a challenging season where every inning demands determination and fresh energy—especially when a key.. A storied family legacy in baseball is about to ignite fresh competitive fervor on the diamond setting the stage for a unique confrontation between two brothers who have.. A torrential downpour failed to extinguish the flicker of hope in the hearts of Padres fans as hints of Jackson Merrill's imminent return emerged—even if nature had different.. An unexpected turn has reshaped the Texas Rangers' approach to offense as the organization brings in former star Bret Boone to lead their hitting efforts—a move that promises.. An electrifying return has reignited a surge of optimism as a resilient leader steps back onto the field after a daunting injury Resilience and Revival Luis Arraez’s comeback.. An unexpected twist in this season’s narrative emerges as one of baseball’s brightest stars battles a nagging setback illuminating both the fragility and relentless spirit inherent in top-tier.. © 2024 Motociclismo - All rights reserved Motociclismo Please enter your username or email address to reset your password © 2024 Motociclismo - All rights reserved Motociclismo Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japan; Hanshin Tigers starting pitcher Hiroto Saiki (35) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the first inning at Tokyo Dome © 2025 M Sports - Premium news & magazine M Sports © 2025 M Sports - Premium news & magazine M Sports There are probably not many MLB fans who are familiar with Keito Mombetsu or Hiroto Saiki Maybe not Teruaki Sato or Tatsuya Ishikawa either They and their teammates on the Hanshin Tigers and Yomiuri Giants were the supporting act for the MLB Tokyo Series while Shohei Ohtani and the other Japanese stars from the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs were cast in the lead roles The Japanese MLB stars — the Dodgers’ Ohtani and the Cubs’ Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki — are some of the most recognizable faces in the game in Ohtani’s case.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); What the four exhibition games between the MLB and NPB clubs over the weekend showed is that the well of talent in Japan runs deeper than the nation’s big leaguers Editors' PicksElection 2024Election: Hawaii Scott Saiki and Kim Coco Iwamoto are pictured Voters at City Hall could vote in person or by dropping their ballots into drop boxes on King Street A motorist drops off his ballot to Sophie Lo Kim Coco Iwamoto defeated House Speaker Scott Saiki in the biggest upset in Hawaii’s 2024 Primary Election In the latest printout of results released this morning wins the House seat outright since no other party had a candidate in the race for District 25 The upset will mean a major shake-up in House leadership in the 2025 session See full updated results here Former state Board of Education member Kim Coco Iwamoto was defeating House Speaker Scott Saiki to represent parts of downtown Ala Moana and Kakaako in a Democratic Party primary election that holds the future of the House leadership at stake In their last Democratic primary face-off in 2022 with 2,680 votes compared with 2,519 for Iwamoto With the second election returns of the night Saturday Iwamoto had an edge of 202 votes over Saiki meaning it’s possible the final results of the House 25 seat might not be determined until today when all of the votes are expected to be counted over 229,000 registered voters had cast ballots according to the state Office of Elections The other House primary race generating attention pitted state Rep Waipio- Mililani) against political newcomer Ken Inouye La Chica jumped to a commanding lead Saturday night La Chica had 54% of the votes over Inouye’s 46% — 3,180 for La Chica compared to 2,701 for Inouye She was appointed to fill the House 37 seat by Gov Saturday night’s primary race represents La Chica’s first time seeking reelection after an unsuccessful run for the House in 2020 a 37-year-old mother of a 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter represents younger working families in Central Oahu and serves as vice chair of the House Education Committee Inouye — the 60-year-old assistant to the vice chancellor at the University of Hawaii West Oahu with a 14-year-old daughter — was encouraged to make his first run for political office this year after growing up in Washington Daniel Inouye’s name can be found on Hawaii’s major airport a major highway on Hawaii island and other island landmarks But Ken Inouye told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser earlier that he was campaigning on his own name and only talked about his father if constituents brought it up Inouye said he sought office to help people in Central Oahu be able to afford to stay in Hawaii and help prevent them from joining the exodus of people leaving for more affordable states 12 of the 25 state Senate seats and all 51 House seats were on the ballot But four House incumbents faced no opposition and were assured of reelection with no need to go to the November general election: Reps Makiki-­Punchbowl) and Rachele Lamosao (D Kaneohe-­Kailua) and Troy Hashimoto (D Wailuku-Kahului-Waihee) were also running unopposed and assured of reelection several incumbents had no primary challengers and will automatically move on to the Nov East and Upcountry Maui-­Molokai-Lanai) Aiea-Pacific Palisades- Pearl City) and Michelle Kidani (D Democratic incumbents with no primary challengers are: Reps Hawaiian Paradise Park-Hawaiian Beaches- Leilani Estates); Nicole Lowen (D chair of the House Committee on Energy and Environmental Protection; Nadine Nakamura (D Hanalei-­Princeville-Kapaa); Luke Evslin (D Niihau-­Hanapepe-Waimea); Rose Martinez (D Ewa Beach-­Iroquois Point); Darius Kila (D Waialae-­Aina Haina-Hawaii Kai); Andrew Takuya Garrett (D Pacific Heights-Nuuanu-­Liliha); Micah Aiu (D Moanalua-Aliamanu-­Foster Village); and majority whip Gregg Takayama (D Republican House incumbents with no primary challengers were Reps Pierick will run in November against either of three Democratic challengers the former head of the powerful Hawaii State Teachers Association who had a huge lead in his Democratic primary Saturday the Senate’s majority whip who chairs the Senate Committee on Water and Land took a commanding early lead over former state Sen Cedric Gates was leading fellow Democrat Stacelynn Eli to replace former state Sen who resigned at the end of the last legislative session Clayton Hee was trailing badly Saturday against Ben Shafter in the Democratic primary to represent Kaneohe-Laie-­Mokuleia The District 23 seat is currently held by state Sen who had no Republican primary challenger Saturday night in Awa’s first bid at reelection Explore Deloitte's Unlimited Reality™ services Cultivating a sustainable and prosperous future Real-world client stories of purpose and impact and operations transformation for the future of your industry Go straight to smart with daily updates on your mobile device See what's happening this week and the impact on your business there’s plenty of room for your career to grow for years to come you're connecting to career resources that provide insights into working at Deloitte and potential job opportunities Shellie Saiki on self-advocacy and empowering women in manufacturing has been saved Shellie Saiki on self-advocacy and empowering women in manufacturing has been removed An Article Titled Shellie Saiki on self-advocacy and empowering women in manufacturing already exists in Saved items Deloitte is proud to introduce the next profile in our series of women in the manufacturing industry By highlighting the stories of women in manufacturing we hope to help facilitate meaningful conversations and showcase the myriad of opportunities available to enter and thrive in the manufacturing industry Shellie Saiki is a partner with Deloitte & Touche LLP’s Audit & Assurance business specializing in the Industrial Products & Construction (IP&C) industry She has more than 27 years of experience at Deloitte and she is a champion of continuous learning and encourages women to be leaders and their own advocate Shellie launched her career at Deloitte immediately after college joining the Audit & Assurance business in Los Angeles a challenging opportunity that sparked her interest in gaining a deep understanding of the business a partner selected her to be part of a new team serving an Aerospace & Defense (A&D) client This pivotal moment in her career exposed her to a wealth of experience and accelerated her professional growth It equipped her with the skills to navigate a complex high-stakes environment filled with brilliant minds; sharpen her technical abilities; and thrive under intense pressure It also taught her how to lead effectively and conduct herself in challenging situations She remarked that these skills are instrumental in her current role as a partner Shellie often found herself as one of few women working with male-dominated teams and clients a situation that significantly shaped her perspective on women in leadership when Shellie was more junior in her career during a client facility tour to enhance her understanding of the business her then-manager insisted that a male colleague accompany her due to the gender-biased environment at the client facility that the same client now has a female lead client service partner (LCSP) she observed the changing dynamics of gender disparity she recalls a heavily male-dominated environment that led her to question her professional fit The birth of her children further challenged her with questions such as “Can I make this work?” This was just one of a few doubts she experienced But now we see more women in leadership roles.” Nevertheless she believes that the journey toward gender equality in leadership is far from over Shellie feels that if we are still discussing the representation of women and diversity in leadership roles it means we have more opportunities for growth and improvement Shellie highlights the importance of leaders fostering inclusive environments which is an important key to retaining top talent people tend to not stay [at a company] unless they see someone in a leadership position that looks like them and has similar obstacles and career challenges … and that’s one of the reasons why I think it’s so important to have women in leadership positions Shellie credits one of her early mentors for teaching her the critical lesson of self-advocacy who was known for his willingness to challenge the status quo and assert his sometimes unpopular standpoints instilled in Shellie the importance of finding and using her own voice you really need to stand up for yourself … and sometimes you have to be loud about it A high point in Shellie’s career was her tenure as Deputy Industry Professional Practice Director (IPPD) for the A&D sector within the Audit & Assurance business This period coincided with a transformative phase within the business providing her with the unique opportunity to overhaul Deloitte’s workflows and redefine industry leading practices The challenges were further amplified by the onset of the pandemic intensifying the scale of change and transformation Shellie found this role rewarding as it allowed her to engage with teams across the A&D sector contributing significantly to Deloitte’s transformation Shellie plays a key role in bridging the communication gaps and fostering knowledge exchange among teams She underscores the value of maintaining an open dialogue When asked about what fuels her enthusiasm for work Shellie shared that it’s the people that inspire her the most She thrives in an environment where individuals have a career-oriented mindset and investing in their personal growth and in the success of the organization This investment in learning and progress is what makes her eager to start each workday now lives in Orange County with her family she candidly admits that it’s not a daily achievement given the high-pressure nature of a client service career She believes in the importance of taking time off and maintaining balance throughout the year cautioning against the self-imposed stress of expecting daily equilibrium Shellie has adopted the philosophy of “it always gets done.” She uses this mantra to guide herself and less experienced colleagues when faced with a daunting volume of work encouraging them to overcome mental barriers by tackling tasks one at a time Shellie’s personal philosophy underwent a major shift following her diagnosis with stage four lung cancer two years ago despite having no personal history of smoking or family history of the disease This life-altering event made her realize the importance of living in the moment rather than constantly deferring dreams to the future ‘when I retire or when I’m 80 … I’ll travel spend more time with friends.’ But someday is not one of the days of the week Stop saying ‘one day’ because life is unpredictable Shellie admits that she used to be someone who avoided medical visits Shellie prioritizes well-being and encourages others to do the same It’s very easy to forget about those limits and keep pushing yourself We need to remember this.” She stresses the need for mindfulness about these boundaries a lesson she underscores through her personal journey Describing herself in three words: Teacher Favorite food or drink: Mexican food and previously was an avid Coke drinker Favorite place to travel: Hawaii (her whole family is from Hawaii—she says “It’s like being young again” when she visits) One thing on her bucket list: Go back to school for architecture This box/component contains code needed on this page This message will not be visible when page is activated.+++ DO NOT USE THIS FRAGMENT WITHOUT EXPLICIT APPROVAL FROM THE CREATIVE STUDIO DEVELOPMENT TEAM +++ To stay logged in, change your functional cookie settings. Social login not available on Microsoft Edge browser at this time © 2025. See Terms of Use for more information The September issue of Akita Shoten's Champion RED magazine announced on Friday that Tsunaki Suda's Saint Seiya: Kaiō Saiki - Rerise of Poseidon manga spinoff of Masami Kurumada's Saint Seiya will switch to a bimonthly publishing schedule after the December issue The manga's story begins when a new threat arises while Athena's warriors are busy fighting Hades Suda launched the series in Akita Shoten's Champion RED magazine in September 2022 Kurumada published the original Saint Seiya manga from 1986 to 1990. The manga has inspired a number of television anime, original video anime projects, anime films, and spinoff manga. The original series has 35 million copies in print. The Saint Seiya: Saintia Shō spinoff manga also has an anime A live-action film of the manga titled Knights of the Zodiac opened in 2023 Scott Saiki has 10 times the amount of cash in his campaign war chest compared with Kim Coco Iwamoto the state representative for District 25 (Ala Moana Downtown) would be guaranteed reelection this year Scott Saiki, the speaker of the Hawaii House of Representatives since 2017, has $220,000 in cash on hand a total helped by generous donations from dozens of local political action committees and influential friends Contributors include the Hawaii Medical Service Association Employee PAC and Shelee Kimura To understand just how much money Saiki is sitting on the winners of House races in 2022 on average raised $47,000 and spent $41,000 Saiki has more than four times that amount raised and has already spent $24,000 on things like food and beverages for a fundraiser at MW Restaurant and for consulting services from the Maccabee Group of Bethesda Saiki’s challenger in the Aug. 10 Democratic primary, Kim Coco Iwamoto, reported having barely $20,000 in her coffers Half that money comes from a $10,000 contribution from Iwamoto herself the former state Board of Education member and former head of the Hawaii Civil Rights Commission has managed to give Saiki a scare in the past two elections Just 161 votes separated the incumbent from Iwamoto in the 2022 primary The margin was a mere 167 votes just two years before that That an underfunded candidate running a grassroots campaign on a shoestring budget against one of the most powerful elected officials in the state — one first elected way back in 1994 — shows that money is not always the deciding factor in a race’s outcome Saiki and Iwamoto confirmed that they are both in the running this year. Their most recent disclosure reports filed with the state Campaign Spending Commission cover the last six months of 2023.  winning candidates are usually the ones with the most money But Saiki is making sure that he has more than enough cash to survive a third consecutive battle with Iwamoto Her recent expenditures ($14,500 from July 1 to Dec 31) went to pay for things like email services bank charges — even a $50 in-kind payment for dog treats while canvassing The Saiki-Iwamoto rematch is one of the most closely watched legislative contests of 2024 and most incumbents are consumed with the legislative session that runs for three more months Election season really begins in earnest after that But here are other takeaways from the recent CSC filings Thirteen of the 25 seats in the Senate are up this year but the senator who has the most financial wherewithal isn’t on the ballot Donovan Dela Cruz, an Oahu senator and chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, isn’t up again until 2026, but has $1 million dollars in the bank His contributors include the Hawaii Regional Council of Carpenters PAC and Dwight Mitsunaga To put Dela Cruz’s political cash into perspective consider that in 2022 winning senators raised on average $102,000 and spent $85,000 The one Senate candidate that has pulled nomination papers (though not officially filed them; the deadline is June 4) with the Hawaii Office of Elections is Rep who is leaving the Senate this year and has already endorsed Gates Gates has $37,700 in cash, but that figure does not include donations from the three fundraisers he held in January which will reflect candidates who filed nomination papers through April 25 All 51 House seats are up for grabs this year Among the ones that are expected to be competitive is the Democratic primary between Rep La Chica was appointed last year to fill a vacancy for the District 37 seat that represents parts of Mililani Town, Mililani Mauka, Koa Ridge and Waipio Gentry. She raised $25,000 in the most recent reporting period and has $22,000 in cash Inouye, in his first run for public office, pulled in $41,000 and has $37,000 in cash Contributors include former Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell Democrat Rep. Daniel Holt has taken out papers to run this year, as has the Aloha Aina Party candidate who lost to him in 2022, Ernest Caravalho. Holt raised $7,000 and has $42,000 in the bank He also held three fundraisers last month for the District 28 seat representing Sand Island who is now poised to run as a Democrat against Holt in the primary reported a mere $192 in cash and no donations at all And in another potential rematch, Democratic Rep. Jenna Takenouchi took in $10,000 and now has about $45,000 to use for a likely run for the District 27 seat (Pacific Heights The Republican she defeated handily in 2022 but she has not filed a recent campaign finance report But a few straightforward rule changes would vastly improve transparency and thus accountability Gary Hooser is executive director of the Pono Hawaii Initiative a former Hawaii state senator (2002-2010) and Senate majority leader (2006-2010) and a former director of the state Office of Environmental Quality Control Speaker of the House Scott Saiki has decided once again to kill the legalization of cannabis by sentencing Senate Bill 669 to “death by referral” making a unilateral decision that four different committees must approve the measure for it to survive Responsible adult use will continue to be illegal in Hawaii Despite the fact that 21 states — along with Washington and Guam — have acted to legalize recreational marijuana and we here in Hawaii have already had countless task forces and study groups look into it And Saiki is pretty much in control of everything and which bills get referred to those committees He single-handedly decides which side is right and wrong when there are disputes on those same committees or questions regarding referrals but without a doubt he’s the one calling the shots But today’s discussion is not about taking hits The rules of the House give Speaker Saiki pretty much total control over who sits on a committee and who is chair: “The membership of each standing committee shall be appointed by the Speaker The respective chairs and vice-chairs of each standing committee shall be appointed by the Speaker.” The rules also give the speaker total control over bill referral. He made the decision to send the midwifery bill to House Finance even though it has no impact on the state budget Likewise the killing of cannabis legalization (yet again) via referral to four different committees was entirely his choice “It shall be the duty of the Speaker to … refer all bills to committees the speaker’s decisions may be challenged via an appeal “If the Speaker disagrees with the recommendation of the Review Panel … the Speaker’s decision shall be the final disposition of the matter.” the Speaker even has the power to override a decision by a majority of a committee “If a chair of a standing committee refuses a request of a majority of the committee members to set for public hearing a bill … the majority of the committee members may petition the Review Panel …If the Speaker objects to the recommendation of the Review Panel … the Speakers decision … shall be the final disposition of the matter.” The speaker appoints the committee and chair the speaker decides which bills the committee will hear and the speaker can override a majority of the committee There are 51 House members and 26 of them give the speaker his title and his power of these 26 will say privately they don’t really support the dictatorial power granted to the speaker They are afraid if they object or push back funding for their district projects will dry up and in general they’ll be “punished by leadership.” Ask any Capitol regular and they’ll tell you it’s always been this way But they’ll also tell you it’s worse now than ever before Due to the large volume of bills/issues and time/scheduling pressures unilateral decision making is accepted under the guise of expediency The extraordinary power granted to the speaker euphemistically referred to as “leadership,” and by extension to the committee chair has been the norm for many years A few straightforward rule changes would vastly improve transparency and thus accountability: There’s no shortage of good people serving now in the House and I suspect that number far exceeds the magic figure of 26 They are collectively responsible for the actions of the speaker Hopefully someone out there on the third or fourth floor of that Big Square Building (perhaps 26 someones) will reach out and have a heart to heart with the speaker increase accountability — and support a more collaborative approach to conducting the people’s business Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Antonio Yoshio Saiki 1939-2011 Antonio Yoshio Saiki 71 unexpectedly passed away on Easter April 24th 1939 in Sao Paulo Brazil to Kanoh and Katsumi Saiki He emigrated from Brazil to Salt Lake City Utah In 1965 to start a family when he married Evanir Herrmann He approached each life challenge with bravery and confidence When first arriving in Utah with limited English ability he knew he could always wash dishes if needed to survive Through hard work and persistence he mastered the English language he enjoyed teaching his many students and giving the gift of art to friends and family As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints He always looked for teaching opportunities and to help others progress in their talents Antonio was devoted to sharing time with his family he helped his children perfect talents in music by establishing and performing in a family band The Saiki band performed throughout Utah with extended engagements at the El Chihuahua and The 49th Street Galleria Antonios legacy lives on through his children and grandchildren who pleased him every time they expressed their talents through music He made a point of supporting events and performances Antonio was preceded in death by his parents He is survived by two sisters Emi and Luzia in Brazil children and grandchildren: Tony and Laura and grandson Blade Yoshio Saiki Antonios wish was to have a small family service which was held Thursday a celebration of his Art will be held Sunday May 1st from 4 PM to 8 PM at Interior Solutions showroom 522 South 400 West Friends and students are invited to attend and display Online guestbook available at www.russonmortuary.com This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors “Resolving conflict will lead to a vibrant state The following came from Scott Saiki, Democratic candidate for state House District 25, which includes Ala Moana, Kakaako and Downtown Honolulu. His opponent is Republican Rob Novak Go to Civil Beat’s Election Guide for general information, and check out other candidates on the General Election Ballot The Legislature has taken homelessness seriously: In 2021 and 2022 the Legislature spent $45 million on ohana zones; provided $500 in monthly rental assistance to 4,000 persons; completed a new 200-patient wing at the Kaneohe State Hospital; and authorized $30 million for nonprofit homeless services We need to continue multiple approaches: maximize funding for nonprofit intervention services including ohana zones and mental health services; streamline the guardianship legal process to direct treatment; and build affordable rental units using the legislative $300 million appropriation Our district has set an example for affordable rental development Hale Kalele (on Alder Street) opened two months ago and provides 200 units at the 60% AMI level It was funded through public and private sources and developed by a private developer This project should be replicated on state land in other communities Although Hawaii has an “A-“ rating from the Gabby Giffords gun control foundation we need to prohibit guns in more public places and support community-based efforts to control crime such as residents did when they created the Ala Moana-Kakaako security watch a few months ago Hawaii cannot rely on one dominant economic industry serious work is underway to better manage tourism and its impact on residents such as the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the county governments The Legislature has enabled change through increased oversight of tourism-related appropriations HTA-implemented tourism destination management authorization for state-imposed impact fees the greatest role that the state can play in diversifying our economy is by making Hawaii a stable place to experiment and generate initiatives This requires stabilization of our state and county government infrastructure (e.g. private sector financial systems (capital) and an educational system that prepares youth and workers but also attracts other skilled people to Hawaii Hawaii needs to prepare for the digital economy by creating broadband infrastructure making broadband and technology accessible throughout the state a problem that reaches far beyond low income and into the middle class the Legislature approved an $18 minimum wage and expansion of a tax credit for working families (EITC) which will result in an additional $30,000 of annual income for a family of four; a $500 monthly rent supplement for low-income families; and a tax rebate (between $100-$300 per person) Housing costs are still a problem and District 25 residents deserve credit for making Hale Kalele possible the Legislature approved $150 million for projects like Hale Kalele and $600 million for DHHL to provide beneficiary housing The Legislature will need to oversee strategic and timely implementation of both projects because thousands of families will benefit from them Our schools and universities need to enable skill-building so that young people can compete in this changing economy A preschool program will better prepare children And adequate compensation within schools will enhance recruitment and retention The Legislature should consider elimination of the state income tax on lower salaries to decrease paycheck withholding; relief on food costs; and ways to strengthen small businesses which employ workers Hawaii has the most lopsided Legislature in the country with only one Republican in the Senate and only four in the House How would you ensure there is an open exchange of ideas transparency and accountability for decisions What do you see as the consequences of one-party control The best way to avoid one-party or other forms of control is to enable the House members and ensure their independence I have given much latitude to committee chairs and defer to their judgment when managing legislation I have consistently informed our House members that their job is to “vote their conscience” and that it is okay to vote “no” or to dissent I believe that dissent improves our legislative process I have also made special efforts to keep the Republican caucus involved and informed The House majority has not gone out of its way to sideline the Republican members Please recall that it was a bipartisan coalition that led to me becoming speaker The House should consider how to improve decision-making and communication One silver lining to the pandemic was that it led to the virtual legislative system for committee hearings and floor sessions The House will continue the virtual system even when the pandemic is over I look forward to the Foley Commission’s recommendations on how to improve our legislative process and build more credibility and integrity into it similar to a situation where five judges can unilaterally vote to end women’s rights and civil rights in the United States incumbents are almost always re-elected in Hawaii legislative races as there are for the governor’s office and county councils I have seen firsthand how term limits affect other states – legislators basically cycle through their terms and take turns serving in leadership positions without having an incentive to develop themselves Hawaii has recently experienced a number of prominent corruption scandals prompting the state House of Representatives to appoint a commission tasked with improving government transparency through ethics and lobbying reforms Are you open to ideas such as requiring the Sunshine Law and open records laws to apply to the Legislature or banning campaign contributions during session The House of Representatives condemned the actions of the former legislators It is unfortunate that their actions tainted the work of many well-intentioned and dedicated legislators Following the legislative corruption indictments I asked the House to create an independent commission to assess and recommend improvements to our ethics laws which serves as a testament to their acknowledgment that we need to improve government The commission is chaired by Judge Dan Foley and consists of the League of Women Voters The commission began meeting in March and will issue final recommendations in December The meetings are held virtually and in person and the public is invited to participate the commission has invited expert panels to discuss current laws and procedures substantive discussions and the recordings are also available at capitol.hawaii.gov How would you make the Legislature more transparent and accessible to the public Opening conference committees to the public Stricter disclosure requirements on lobbying and lobbyists How could the Legislature change its own internal rules to be more open The House has asked the Foley Commission to assess these topics and I am awaiting its final recommendations Hawaii has seen a growing division when it comes to politics What would you do to bridge those gaps and bring people together in spite of their differences Hawaii is a mature state and the general public wants Hawaii to advance modernize and offer opportunity for all residents while maintaining our culture and environment it seems that there has been growing division in Hawaii this division has been most apparent at Mauna Kea in my House opening day speech in January 2021 I asked the University of Hawaii to stop managing Mauna Kea and proposed the creation of a working group to assess an alternative Mauna Kea governance and management model The House agreed and the group worked for eight months on a proposal the Legislature approved the Mauna Kea Authority (House Bill 2024) HB 2024 showed us that we can take on the most daunting challenges Those with polar opposite viewpoints knew that something had to be done This effort gave me much hope for the future of Hawaii The coronavirus pandemic has exposed numerous flaws in Hawaii’s structure and systems from outdated technology to economic disparity If you could take this moment to reinvent Hawaii to build on what we’ve learned and create a better state Please share One Big Idea you have for Hawaii Resolve problems in the manner established by the HB 2024 working group Resolving conflict will lead to a vibrant state If we can build a community in a diverse area like District 25 then we can build a community anywhere in Hawaii We use cookies to improve your experience Please read our Privacy Policy or click Accept.× Please read our Privacy Policy or click Accept Jay Kandiah is a Full Professor in the Department of Nutrition and Health Science She is also a registered and licensed dietitian nutritionist as well as community and behavioral health 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 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 “It will not be easy to reopen Hawaii incrementally while still assuring public health and safety Saiki has been way out in front during the past year He launched the high-profile House Select Committee on COVID-19 Economic and Financial Preparedness that prodded Gov David Ige to do more to cope with the pandemic and also helped develop strategies to speed the reopening of the state economy He also inserted himself or his surrogates into an array of other issues ranging from the Thirty Meter Telescope and the expedited release of low-risk jail inmates to Kauai’s requirement that visitors be tested twice for COVID-19 who is one of the most powerful Democrats in state government suggests this flurry of activity is part of the natural order of things He declares in his speeches and interviews that “the House is a leader and the House is the one that’s going to provide leadership for the state.” “I really want the Legislature to act like a Legislature,” Saiki said in an interview on Friday “I think we have lost sight of what a Legislature is at a member level but it’s really about setting a course for the state.” “In the past sometimes the Legislature has given too much deference to the executive branch decisions … I want the Legislature to stop doing that when you have an executive branch that is not as strong as it should be.” has sometimes alarmed colleagues and members of the public by pushing hard to move his agenda forward and by politically clobbering people who displease him business and political leaders for this story including some who would only speak on condition of anonymity for fear of political repercussions They all say Saiki emerged as a much more prominent state leader during the pandemic a time when the public is paying unusually close attention to the workings of government And not all of Saiki’s machinations have been well received This year he launched a multi-pronged attack on State Auditor Les Kondo, and also took the rare step of appointing a House special committee to hold public hearings on the drunken driving arrest of House dissident Rep Saiki hand picked the working group tasked with assessing Kondo’s performance, and the committee concluded Kondo has failed to meet his obligations under the provision of the state constitution that created the auditor’s office Saiki also introduced bills that seemed designed to punish Kondo including one to cut the budget of the auditor’s office by more than 50% and another to give lawmakers control of the auditor’s pay and it is unclear what that spat has accomplished Saiki said in an interview last week his objective during that process has been to get the auditor to improve “It’s not to get rid of people Saiki also oversaw some decisions in the House this year that critics see as too accommodating to Hawaii’s business and tourism interests Lawmakers have budgeted more than $700 million to bail out local businesses by repaying a huge federal loan on their behalf and the House under Saiki blocked proposals to increase the state minimum wage and exempt unemployment payments to jobless workers from state taxes The minimum wage and unemployment tax relief bills are both bottled up in the House Labor and Tourism Committee Saiki acknowledges he could have pressured Committee Chairman Richard Onishi to hear the measures Increasing the minimum wage is a priority for the Hawaii Democratic Party and some major players in the state’s union movement and some observers are troubled by the way the House handled those issues John Waihee says that “taking something that obviously benefits the least fortunate of those that have been affected by the pandemic and not doing something about it is “If you’re afraid of a hearing you’re afraid that you might not be doing something correctly That’s the way I look at it,” Waihee said “If you’re not willing to put it out in the open Saiki’s style of leadership has also proved to be unpopular with some of his colleagues One lawmaker who spoke on condition of anonymity said that dissidents who oppose the House leadership are essentially banished to outsider status they’re way more restrictive in approving your allotment of your legislative allowance especially for trips” to conferences and other events Saiki’s strongest supporters are a core group of insiders including House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke and Democratic Majority Leader Della Au Belatti who were with Saiki in 2012 when his coalition unseated former House Speaker Calvin Say Saiki’s faction joined forces with Rep Joe Souki and House Republicans that year to overthrow former Speaker Calvin Say and held the job until Saiki displaced him in 2017 Members of the original group who were with Saiki from the start wield extra influence and long-serving members of the House “have these grudges that are … toxic and it plays out in the caucus,” one lawmaker said “That’s the simmering undercurrent of the House that really pervades everything.” In one memorable moment on the House floor in 2018, then-Rep. Isaac Choy described Saiki’s leadership as a “reign of terror” after Saiki removed Rep Ken Ito as chairman of the House committee dealing with veterans and military affairs Ito’s offense was that he admitted signing a resolution that would have removed Saiki as speaker during a failed attempt to reorganize the House Saiki declared Choy’s comments to be a violation of House rules and had them stricken from the House journal who was an ally of Say and has challenged Saiki’s leadership said he is convinced Saiki appointed a committee to hold public hearings on Har’s drunken driving arrest this year because she was also a Say supporter nearly a decade ago Saiki disputes that, saying he was required to appoint the committee to address complaints from the public that Har had violated the House Code of Conduct. The committee is supposed to consider the matter and make recommendations on how to proceed, but is now on hold until Har’s criminal case is resolved in court Tokioka led the aborted attempt to overthrow Saiki in 2018 and said he is now essentially shunned by Saiki Saiki assigns less senior House members to lead the committees where much of the work is done and Tokioka has no leadership role in Saiki’s House “He’s not had a conversation with me about anything I just don’t think that’s becoming of a speaker in the 15 years that I’ve been there but I haven’t gotten that on many occasions.” Saiki said in an interview that 47 of the 51 House members are Democrats “and not everybody in the caucus supports my leadership If anyone feels they want to be a part of the leadership team Tokioka isn’t the only one who feels they’ve been shut out by the speaker after getting crosswise with him Kondo also complained about a lack of communication from the speaker saying in an April 7 letter to House and Senate lawmakers that Saiki never approached Kondo to raise concerns about his management or the work being produced by the auditor’s office I would expect that Speaker Saiki would have discussed them with me before forming a working group,” Kondo wrote But some regard Saiki’s behavior as the maneuvering of a strong speaker who is firmly in control Retired Intermediate Court of Appeals Judge Daniel Foley said he has known Saiki for decades and remembers him as one of a handful of House members who voted against a proposed constitutional amendment in 1997 to authorize the Legislature to ban same-sex marriages Foley and Saiki agreed on that issue, but Saiki strongly opposed Foley’s work last spring as a court-appointed special master who worked to speed the release of low-risk jail inmates to prevent the spread of COVID-19 inside correctional facilities Foley said Saiki’s disagreement “was never personal When asked about complaints that Saiki is heavy handed so is Nancy Pelosi,” the speaker of the U.S he has at least 26 (state House members) supporting him “There’s different styles of leadership,” Foley said “A lot of people criticize our governor because he’s not heavy handed enough and then they turn around and criticize Scott because he’s too heavy handed.” he’s not shy about taking a position and it’s fair to criticize him for decisions he makes if you disagree with the position That’s just the nature of the beast,” Foley said a former Senate majority leader and an outspoken advocate for left-leaning causes said Saiki “certainly has asserted himself,” but Hooser is one who strongly disagrees with the directions the speaker has taken For example, Saiki this year called for removing the University of Hawaii from management of Mauna Kea as part of a revamp of oversight of the mountain The House then passed a resolution to assemble a committee to consider the issue but Hooser called that initiative “crazy.” and it doesn’t have a consensus among the stakeholders and it’s a waste of time,” Hooser said passionate protests by Hawaiians against plans to build the $2.4 billion Thirty Meter Telescope and Saiki is a longtime supporter of that project Saiki said that Mauna Kea represents “the intersection of cultural environmental and economic conflict,” and addressing the issues on the mountain will help to address similar conflicts across the state “I’m not afraid to take on the hard issues and I think sometimes that will make people feel uncomfortable it will make them feel like I have an agenda or like I’m being heavy handed,” Saiki said “But I just feel like we’re at a point now where we have to take on some of these issues if we want Hawaii to advance and I’m not afraid to do that.” Hooser, who represented Kauai in the Senate, also took issue with Saiki’s push this year to force Kauai County to drop its extra requirement for a brief quarantine and a second COVID-19 test for arriving passengers from the mainland Saiki and tourism industry officials argued Hawaii needed a uniform statewide travel policy to re-start the local economy but Saiki’s proposal was fiercely opposed by many Kauai residents Tina Wildberger described it as an example of “State of Oahu overreach.” “Not one medical professional — not one — would say that was a good idea,” Hooser said of Saiki’s proposal That issue was finally resolved earlier this month after Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami dropped the requirement for a second test and aligned Kauai’s testing requirements with the rest of the state chief executive officer for Hawaii Pacific Health said Saiki has “stood out as a leader” since the beginning of the pandemic and pursued a balanced agenda aimed at protecting public health and re-starting the economy Saiki’s well-publicized House select committee on COVID-19 brought the right people together and raised the right issues for policy makers Saiki was “instrumental” in pressing ahead with the pre-travel testing program and advocated for data-driven tier systems for re-opening the economy “I think what he has really done — the speaker himself — is help highlight what the critical policy issues are and make sure that they’re on the radar so we can advance those things in a timely manner,” Vara said Vara also praised Saiki for stepping in to help Hawaii Pacific Health navigate the state bureaucracy to establish a mass vaccination site at Pier 2 “I don’t think that would have happened without his intervening,” Vara said Saiki often says his three priorities this year have been stabilizing the state budget tourism traffic picking up and the state budget back on track Saiki seems to have adopted a more hard-nosed leadership style during the pandemic or perhaps he just became more comfortable putting his approach on display for the public He offered a particularly memorable summary of his leadership philosophy on Jan David Ige gave his seventh State of the State speech Despite the array of problems presented by the pandemic Ige’s speech was light on specific plans or proposals “We all know that the governor by nature is risk averse and his State of the State address reflected that style It was a risk-averse speech,” Saiki told reporters that day “We need to think differently in order to get out of this pandemic.” “I have asked him publicly to stop governing by consensus because there is a point in time now where we just need to make decisions we need to make hard decisions and we need to make quick decisions,” Saiki said “We will never gain consensus on the major issues that face our state.” Fourth in a series of profiles of Hawai‘i’s “Sages Over 70” Miriam Hallreich needed help when she walked into state Sen Pat Saiki’s office at the state Capitol in the late 1970s There was no adequate Department of Education oversight of students struggling with speech You can’t affect change in the Legislature without a bill.” “We have no idea how to do that,” replied Hellreich and Saiki continued: “This is what you do,” going on to explain the process and then sending Hellreich home to work on a bill overnight Hellreich was on her way to becoming a successful political lobbyist for medical and social causes and Saiki had again proven that teaching people how to affect political change was a key piece of her lifelong agenda Saiki exerted enormous influence during decades in public service – as a legislator congresswoman and director of the federal Small Business Administration – though she is a proud Republican in a state dominated by Democrats She has been an advocate for women’s rights – including successful passage of the Equal Rights Amendment in Hawai‘i – and built a legion of advocates along the way as a popular public speaker and mentor to all who seek her help Despite many laws to protect women’s rights subtle discrimination remains that still needs to be fought “I’m not saying that women are not successful; they are successful today But when things get tough it seems as though women are easier to dismiss It’s disappointing to see this continue when the real issue of outright discrimination has been taken care of in the law “There was a time when I was active when a woman couldn’t have a credit card in her own name or get a loan or a mortgage She couldn’t retain her maiden name after a divorce – until we changed the law I felt very good changing outright and blatant discrimination Today of course discrimination is much more subtle.” In her autobiography from Watermark Publishing “A Woman in the House,” Saiki writes about a career that took her from state politics to a seat in Congress to the top job at the federal Small Business Administration under President George H.W Not as well-known are the people along the way whom she inspired and mentored “After that was all over,” remembers Hellreich of her first legislative success ‘I want you to get all your Hawaii Medical Association Auxiliary buddies together and I’m going to train you at the Legislature all day – how to find and write bills “We had 50 people from all islands come for that meeting One of the women trained in that workshop was Carol McNamee Another was Lila Johnson who headed up the Tobacco Prevention and Education Program for the Health Department “It was a new awakening for me,” continues Hellreich who became a Republican national committeewoman Republican gubernatorial candidate and longtime businessman who worked with Saiki on many state legislative issues “Considering she has always been a Republican and in the minority her participation and contributions are immeasurable,” says Anderson She has taken on some major issues and prevailed “She was very successful in taking on the need for the community college in Kaimukī,” he continues she’s been able to participate in a one-party-controlled state very successfully.” 90 Companies and Nonprofits Where Employees Thrive you reduce the homeless population,” says HomeAid Hawai‘i’s executive director Pat Saiki describes her life as a fighter for fairness after decades of racial and gender discrimination Denby Fawcett is a longtime Hawaii television and newspaper journalist, who grew up in Honolulu. Her book, Secrets of Diamond Head: A History and Trail Guide is available on Amazon Opinions are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Civil Beat’s views With former Hawaii Congresswoman Pat Saiki she just released her first book: a memoir titled “A Woman in the House.” The book is worth reading to remember how unfair life was for many in Territorial Hawaii; how the so-called racial melting pot was a myth and what politicians like Saiki did to right the wrongs Talking with her at her house about “the bad old days,” she once told me racial and gender discrimination affected her viscerally when she was my fifth grade PE teacher at Punahou School My classmates and I were one of her earliest challenges Saiki had been hired fresh out of the University of Hawaii by then-Punahou president John Fox who told her he wanted her to join the faculty because the school needed “local teachers.” She became the first full-time local — meaning non-white — teacher in Punahou’s junior academy The fifth grade girls were sassy to Miss Fukuda We balked at her instructions because we hated physical education Our idea of exercise was riding horses around Kapiolani Park Miss Fukuda was stunningly beautiful in her pressed white shorts and spotless white blouse We admired her even more when she signed on to be one of our summer camp counselors at Camp Kokokahi in Kaneohe I didn’t realize until I saw Saiki at her April 20 book event — held interestingly in a truck parts sales and service company in Kapolei — that through the decades she had become a role model for many of us there were no classes in leadership for girls The only way to learn how to be bold was to watch others like our fearless PE teacher or by reading books about women who defied stereotypes Saiki as the wife of obstetrician/gynecologist Dr did not fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean like Earhart but as a UH student she flew over erupting Kilauea volcano in her weekend job as a flight attendant on the interisland carrier that became Aloha Airlines It was a risky venture that would not be allowed today but it was what local airlines did then to thrill tourists She got double pay for the volcano flights which along with other part-time jobs helped her pay her way through the university and leave her parents enough money to send her two younger sisters to college “My parents were horrified and prayed that the planes would not crash into the volcano,” she said “But with the typical nonchalance of youth I never worried about my safety.” She writes in the book that from an early age she had been taught to think big by her father a volunteer tennis coach at Hilo High School who was disappointed he did not have any sons “so he decided to turn us into tennis champions.” “He would call my sisters and me ‘Sonny Boy’ every time we hit the courts He treated us no differently than he treated boys He told us we could be anything we wanted to be My father was a feminist before the word feminist became popular.” Saiki said she decided to write the book as a way of making young people aware of the inequities in the Hawaii she lived through and the struggles she and others went through to correct them but also with the help of others — many of the people I invited to the book party She began her political career in 1968 when she was elected to be a delegate to the state’s first Constitutional Convention She said she had been eager to make change ever since 1958 when she and her husband were denied the right to buy a house in Aina Haina we were told by the all white members of the community association we were not welcome because we were Japanese-American I was shocked to realize this kind of discrimination still existed,” she wrote which she calls “peoples’ rights,” began after she left the teaching profession in 1969 to run for state representative and later to win election to the state Senate At the time of her first bid for election to the state House Her supporters say rather than being handicapped by her family obligations her boisterous home life combined with what she learned from urging on resistant students at Punahou and Kalani High School gave her skills to woo reluctant adults needed to pass legislation in Hawaii and later in the U.S During her first term in the state House in 1970 — three years before the U.S Wade decision — she supported the controversial quest that made Hawaii the first state to decriminalize abortions She said she did not believe in full-scale but she entered the controversy because of the influence of “the selfless courage of my obstetrician/gynecologist husband Stanley.” In her book she writes of phone calls they would receive at home “usually between 2 and 4 a.m.,” from a patient pleading for help because she was bleeding profusely from a botched illegal abortion Saiki would drive with Stanley in the middle of the night to his then-medical clinic in Kaimuki to help the women my husband believed that saving her life was more important than the risk he took in breaking the law “I supported him in that conviction and I joined him when he met these patients in his medical office I had the sobering task of holding a lamp over the woman so Stanley could see what he was doing Switching on the office lights was out of the question because it would signal to the police that something out of the ordinary was happening the patient and I could be arrested for breaking the law,” she wrote “I was outraged to know that a trained physician and his patient could be so unfairly exposed to prosecution The woman deserved better — she shouldn’t be punished for making a difficult choice and she certainly shouldn’t be exposed to unsanitary medical practices by an illegal abortionist.” She said that despite her own reservations about abortions: “I took this message to my colleagues in the state House and asked them to consider that a woman’s choice should be her own.” she began what would be her lifelong quest as a lawmaker: righting racial injustice and unfairness to women She says when she talks to young people today “they are amazed women then could not get credit cards in their name a woman couldn’t get a mortgage in her own name their husband could not inherit their pension.” including the “appalling situation” that after a woman had been beaten and seriously injured by her spouse or partner she could not bring legal charges against him “We amended the law to include spouse abuse as a misdemeanor allowing victims to initiate action in family courts,” she recalled Of the 28 bills in what she called the Equal Rights Package lawmakers approved 25 of them but not as Pat Saiki initiatives; the Democrats got credit by inserting her identical language into their own measures Saiki said she didn’t protest because her main goal was to get legislation passed and that local news reporters at the time such as Gerry Keir Richard Borreca and Jerry Burris pointed out that she was the author of the bills She was a liberal Republican able to reach across the aisle to Democrats and won the support of then-Gov John Burns as they joined forces for their common goal of getting a four-year medical school at the University of Hawaii Saiki became the first Republican in the state to win a U.S after Democrat Patsy Mink’s victory in 1964 the second woman in Hawaii elected to Congress She writes in the book that one of her proudest achievements in Congress was urging reluctant House members in the Republican caucus to vote for a bill to grant reparations to the families of more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans sent during World War II to what she and others now call “concentration camps.” Her uncle Shingo Narikawa and his family had been rounded up in 1943 and eventually sent to Topaz War Relocation Center in Utah “My plea for justice affected enough Republicans to change their votes and we passed the Civil Liberties Protection Act of 1988 to form an official apology to Japanese-American families and provide for token reparations of $20,000 for each interned person including children.” Senate seat in 1990 against Democrat Dan Akaka into another kind of victory for Hawaii he asked her what he could do to sweeten the deal and she said “Issue an executive order to stop the bombing of Kahoolawe.” Within four months, Bush directed then Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney to terminate the military use of the island as a bombing range Saiki lost the Senate election to Akaka by 9 percentage points but Bush made sure it was not the end of her political life by appointing her to head the U.S Her career as an elected official ended in 1994 when she lost the race for Hawaii governor in a three way race between Frank Fasi running as an independent on his own Best Party ticket and Democratic candidate Ben Cayetano Saiki continues her work to improve life for others by helping young public high school students participating in programs in the nonprofit Center for Tomorrow’s Leaders In her book she says she tells them that anyone can be a leader “Leadership starts with the dream of a better outcome and the courage to speak up,” she says She tells them that politics is not a spectator sport: “More than ever we need leaders who can motivate others to act for the common good.” Japan Times writer Thu-Huong Ha observed in an April article titled “Why is the most exciting art in Japan so hard to get to?” that some of the country’s best contemporary works are not easy to reach either.googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1499653692894-0'); }); Inside a dimly lit underground space that once housed ammunition for the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces Three triptych-like screens nearly 3 meters high show people of various ages prostrating themselves before some unrevealed power they stare with disbelief into the distance their cries resounding through the cavernous room Condo owners are facing soaring insurance premiums as companies across the country cancel coverage due to growing risks from climate change. That was the topic of a recent town hall meeting on Oʻahu hosted by state lawmakers whose districts largely comprise condo dwellers House Speaker Scott Saiki said a town hall attendee reported their condo building insurance will be increasing from $345,000 to $3.4 million "I think it's important to emphasize that what is happening in Hawaiʻi is what has happened throughout the United States and specifically within the coastal areas," Saiki told The Conversation "My understanding is that the Lahaina wildfire put Hawaiʻi on the radar within the insurance industry it brought attention to our situation and all of the natural disaster risks that we face here," Saiki said Saiki said that only three companies provide new property insurance policies for condominium buildings and single-family homes One of those three is threatening to stop issuing policies it would be disastrous because then we'd basically be left with two insurance companies And this is part of the reason why insurance premiums are increasing here plus the lack of capacity within the insurance industry," Saiki said He shared the latest about legislative efforts to stabilize the market by beefing up the Hawaiʻi Hurricane Relief Fund and a second fund that could provide stopgap insurance coverage for underinsured buildings. House Bill 2686 advanced in the House and had its first Senate hearing Tuesday It's not just condo owners affected by the looming insurance crisis Renters report that landlords are looking to pass on the insurance costs — and single-family homeowners are starting to report policy cancellations the risks associated with underinsured condo buildings can trickle down to buyers and sellers who may find it difficult to secure financing "If you have a unit and want to sell it to someone who needs to take out a mortgage to buy the unit that buyer probably would not get financing to make that purchase really serious ramifications not just within condo buildings This story aired on <i>The Conversation</i> on March 19 Sophia McCullough adapted this story for the web Privacy Policy | About Our Ads Six years have passed since three families purchased their first homes on Kaua‘i – and began an ordeal they claim has yet to end They and eight other households are now suing their neighborhood’s developer “It’s like a nightmare that we haven’t woken up from because it just keeps going,” said Lani Saiki and the neighboring Volkmer and Sprengeler-Harris families live in the 151-home Ho‘oluana at Kohea Lea development in Hanamāʻulu a stone’s throw from the county seat of Līhu‘e on the East Side of the Garden Isle They are among dozens of nearby households to report the presence of a persistent black slime on their interior plumbing fixtures; the gunk rapidly clots on shower heads Frequent deep cleaning is required to keep the muck at bay Many Ho‘oluana (“to live in comfort and ease”) homeowners battling the black slime have listed a litany of similar health complaints Saiki, Woods, Sprengeler, Harris and the Volkmers hold D.R. Horton responsible for their contaminated homes. They and others spent years navigating the dispute resolution process mandated by their home purchase agreements “We’re suing them because of all of the construction defects that have been discovered,” said their attorney Robert G a former associate justice of the Hawai‘i Supreme Court who filed the complaint in the Fifth Circuit on Kaua‘i D.R. Horton has a well-documented history of lawsuits filed by property owners alleging shoddy construction. A nationwide ABC News investigation in 2016 revealed D.R. Horton annually set aside $426.4 million to handle hundreds of construction defect claims in its brand-new homes The company filed a motion to dismiss the Ho‘oluana plaintiffs’ complaint which was denied by Judge Randal Valenciano who ordered a consolidated arbitration to occur between the 11 households and the company Horton responded by filing a notice of appeal in the Intermediate Court of Appeals; Klein is now contesting the jurisdiction of that court 10 different arbitrations for 10 different households where you have to call the same expert witnesses to explain to an arbitration panel – which can be different for each of the 10 households?” Klein said “There’s no opportunity to have one answer to the arbitration; you could have 10 different ones “The homeowners would be paying expert witnesses to come from the mainland to the beautiful island of Kaua‘i 10 different times,” he continued “Unless arbitrations are consolidated it’s a financial disaster for the homeowner.” Tim Harris and Linda Sprengeler – who made their black slime experience public in late 2021, inciting a flurry of media coverage – noted they and their fellow plaintiffs cannot afford separate arbitration Even the split costs stemming from a consolidation which will run into tens of thousands of dollars for each participating household were deemed feasible by only a fraction of the 78 houses to report black slime contamination both former information technology professionals They had spent nearly two decades saving to retire on the island “We fell in love with the people,” said Sprengeler Sprengeler and Harris claimed they had spent more than $180,000 on efforts to rectify their contaminated water situation and receive reimbursement from D.R The married couple’s life savings are now virtually depleted we really can’t go out and earn more at this stage in our life,” said Sprengeler “I’m okay with arbitration because I know it could take six to 10 years to get a case to the public court system,” Sprengeler continued Saiki was born and raised in ʻEleʻele on the West Side of Kaua‘i They returned to Kaua‘i to raise a family and bought their Ho‘oluana home for approximately $657,000 in 2018 It is their first house on the Garden Isle; they previously lived in a Puhi condominium and we just wanted a yard,” Saiki said They were elated when their number was drawn in a lottery granting the option to buy a property in the Ho‘oluana development “We wanted to buy a home and housing costs were outrageous we felt immensely blessed,” said Christie “It was a lottery system: We made it through the Volkmers’ finances have also been consumed by their attempts to free themselves from the black slime They would even leave to escape the problem but are trapped in their own home “We literally cannot move,” said Marc “We’d have to fix it out-of-pocket before we could sell it and then possibly not be able to recuperate anything.” Christie chipped in: “Who wants to purchase a home that’s in the middle of arbitration?” a jerry-rigged camper shower and a water cooler typically found in an office building Some would-be guests have declined to visit their home and Christie’s elderly mother returned to Oklahoma due to health concerns “She can’t afford to get sick,” said Christie “That’s a bummer: My daughter doesn’t get her grandma.” The ongoing court dispute has rendered travel to remote family unaffordable as well as impossible to plan: The Volkmers don’t know when they will be needed to attend arbitration proceedings including his ailing 92-year-old grandmother but is unable to schedule a visit “There’s nothing we can plan for the future right now,” said Marc Horton – the United States’ largest homebuilder which has closed on more than 1 million homes in its over 45-year history reporting a net income of $4.7 billion last fiscal year – issued a statement regarding Ho‘oluana residents’ lawsuit: Horton remains committed to the quality of our homes and our homeowners Horton is aware of certain homeowner concerns at a limited number of homes within theHo‘oluana at Kohea Loa Subdivision. D.R andpromptly to address the matter since it was brought to our attention and retained both localand nationally accredited third-party experts to conduct extensive investigation and testing toevaluate and address concerns raised by homeowners These experts have found that thereare no construction or plumbing product related issues that would impair the quality of thewater. Rather the experts believe the cause of the homeowner complaints is due to lowresidual disinfectant levels (i.e. low levels of residual chlorine) in the water and waterdistribution system Horton has no control over the source water or waterdistribution systems for the Ho‘oluana at Kohea Loa Subdivision Horton has offered the installation of ultraviolet (UV) systems to disinfect the incomingwater at no cost to homeowners in an effort to address their concerns.” The Volkmers and others take issue with D.R the Hawai‘i Department of Health Safe Drinking Water Branch and the federal Environmental Protection Agency have previously stated the area’s municipal water quality meets or exceeds all state and federal drinking-water standards The company’s offer of free UV systems is also considered an unsuitable solution Horton’s contractor has already installed at least one UV system on the exterior of a Ho‘oluana home – contrary to instructions and warnings provided in the product’s owner manual The UV systems would process municipal water before reaching houses’ interior plumbing rendering it useless if black slime-causing bacteria is already established within the affected homes the manual states the UV systems “are not intended for the treatment of contaminated water” and “must have a bacteria-free distribution system to work properly.” Ho‘oluana families are now more exhausted than they have ever been “You start with so much momentum and then it drags on … You realize how much it affects your everyday life as it continues.”