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Green signs new laws aimed at providing financial relief to condo owners, residents

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Green signs new laws aimed at providing financial relief to condo owners, residents


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Gov. Josh Green signed a series of bills into law Thursday that’s aimed at addressing housing challenges for Hawaii condominiums.

Raelene Tenno, Education Chair for the Hawaii Council of Community Associations, said she and many other owners are scrambling to pay huge insurance increases.

“We’ve already planned our budgets for the for the next year and then we get this notice that it went up that high, so it just kind of blew the budget out of whack,” said Tenno.

”Even for my condo that I own, the maintenance fees are almost equal to the rent that you collect.”

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But help is on the way, thanks to several bills signed by the governor on Thursday.

One offers government loans to help condo buildings make improvements such as fire sprinklers and pipe replacement.

House Speaker Scott Saiki said condos were a priority this legislative session.

“One is because the loan is amortized, you avoid a large front-end assessment on unit owners,” said Saiki. “The second benefit is that the loan is repaid by individual unit owners in the building.”

“So if a unit owner sells the unit and moves, the new owner will assume that obligation, so it goes from owner to owner over a period of time.”

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Another bill lets individual condo owners invest in a fund to finance solar, rooftop panels and batteries.

“For people who live in homes that can’t afford to pay for those systems, or who can’t even get conventional financing for those systems… The people who receive these rooftop improvements, will repay that loan over time through the real property through their electric utility bill,” explained Saiki.

Richard Emery works for the nation’s largest condominium management company, Associa.

He said about 70% of the condos in Hawaii are more than 40 years old.

“So, all of these components are starting to come due for need of replacement or upgrade and certainly the cost of energy is a major concern,” said Emery. “So, anything we can do to provide another tool for condos to use to refinance its capital components and lower its operating costs through energy reform is a good thing.”

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“It’s going to be good in the long run especially when you use energy efficient projects like elevators where they have to do their elevator upgrades,” said Tenno. “It’s always gonna involve electrical upgrade.”

The other bills signed into law will streamline the paperwork for buying a condo and modernize procedures for condo meetings and voting process.



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Hawaii

Government overreach cited as HAB calls out Gov. Green

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Government overreach cited as HAB calls out Gov. Green


HONOLULU (KHON2) — The Hawaii Association of Broadcasters is calling out Governor Josh Green over his intent to veto “a legislative bill that addresses an outdated state statute that allows a mayor or the Governor to suspend the transmission of electronic media during a state of emergency.”

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Currently the Governor or County Mayor may shut off utilities or suspend services and electronic media transmission–to the extent permitted by or under federal law.

However, suspending electronic media transmission by state or county authorities is not permitted under any federal law, according to HAB.

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“ʻElectronic mediaʻ as described in HRS §127A potentially includes radio, television, internet, cable, cell service, text messaging and social media transmissions.”

“The Governor or Mayors’ ability to suspend any and all ‘electronic media transmissions’ during a state of emergency creates a clear prior restraint on lawful free speech and publication and violates the First Amendment as upheld by the United States Supreme Court,” says Chris Leonard, President of the Hawaii Association of Broadcasters. “The current statute clearly represents government overreach in granting the state and county government a ‘blank check’ to shut down all electronic media transmission without providing an explanation for why this is necessary, what systems are affected, for how long, and how decisions would be made.”

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Another version of HB 2581 does not include language allowing the Governor and Mayoral powers to suspend electronic media transmission in a state of emergency.

“We are very concerned that we have a law on the books that jeopardizes public safety and our ability to deliver a vital lifeline to the public,” says Leonard. “A simple edit to HRS § 127A will allow us to continue to deliver potentially life-saving information and keep our communities informed during a state of emergency, a time when we need more, not less communication.”

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Hawaii Adopts Fines For Excise, Rental Tax Reporting Failures – Law360 Tax Authority

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Hawaii Adopts Fines For Excise, Rental Tax Reporting Failures – Law360 Tax Authority


By Zak Kostro · June 25, 2024, 6:57 PM EDT

Hawaii will impose fines for failures to comply with the reporting requirements of the state’s general excise tax and transient accommodations tax laws as part of a bill signed by the…

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California mother is arrested for confronting drag queens at Hawaii hotel over ‘inappropriate’ Pride show

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California mother is arrested for confronting drag queens at Hawaii hotel over ‘inappropriate’ Pride show


A University of California Davis employee was briefly detained after she was seen aggressively confronting drag performers at a resort in Hawaii.

Beth Bourne, a program director at UC Davis’ Institute of Transportation Studies, was filmed raging at drag queens after she spotted them at the Alohilani Resort in Waikīkī, where they were to perform for a pride event.

Bourne, who is a leader for the conservative group Moms for Liberty, became enraged after she spotted the drag queens in the lobby, and accused the hotel of failing to provide a safe environment for her son.

Beth Bourne, a program director at UC Davis’ Institute of Transportation Studies, was filmed raging at drag queens after she spotted them at the Alohilani Resort in Waikīkī

‘I’m sorry but I paid to be a customer at a hotel where I thought you believe that women were for real,’ the activist yelled as she held her phone up to record the drag queens.

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‘Because you put on make-up, you’re wearing high heels, you have a Barbie outfit on – you don’t think this is degrading.

She added: ‘This is misogyny… if you give me back my money right now, I will leave the hotel, but I’m not going to have my children come down from the 30th floor and see what’s happening here.’

Bourne then asked the performers their names, saying she wants to know who they are as a hotel employee attempts to escort her away.

‘Are you a man?’ she asked one of them. ‘What do you think about my son who might think that he can put on make-up and fancy clothing and high heels and have his penis cut off and take estrogen so he can grow fake boobs?’ 

One of the performers, who goes by Marina Del Rey, shared video of the incident on social media, saying Bourne attacked his group.

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One of the performers, who goes by Marina Del Rey, shared video of the incident on social media, saying Bourne attacked his group

One of the performers, who goes by Marina Del Rey, shared video of the incident on social media, saying Bourne attacked his group

He said on Instagram: ‘There was prior dialog from her ahead of what I filmed and ultimately she was taken off the property by the police.

‘I would like to say a huge THANK U to the resort for your care and concerns during and after, to all of us…. those within witness – guest or staff – many extended compassion of which I’m very very grateful…

‘We are all okay. A little shook & saddened but grateful to the people we were in the company of and everyone who reached out. and still keeping faith in humanity.’

Marina Del Rey explained the group was in the lobby to film a video that saw them playing roles as hotel staff.

‘This woman saw us filming and came to a slow burn and then she popped off. Her rant went on and on – possibly with the attempt to get a riled angered response,’ the performer added.

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Bourne became an anti-trans activist following the rupture of her relationship with her nonbinary eldest of two child

Bourne became an anti-trans activist following the rupture of her relationship with her nonbinary eldest of two child

DailyMail.com has reached out to UC Davis and the Alohilani Resort for comment on this story.

Many social media users have demanded that Bourne be fired from UC Davis following her recorded actions.

Elaine Vinton said on Facebook: ‘To all of my CA friends, I am urging you to contact UC Davis Human Resources, and lodge a complaint for their employment of Beth Bourne, the chairwoman of Moms For Liberty, Davis CA. 

‘She is harassing students and staff, quoting UC Davis’s practice of cutting of the penises of male children, among other practices. She is an unhinged bigot threatening the LGBTQ+ Community. Please make a call!’

Bourne is a controversial figure and claims without evidence on her social media accounts that ‘1/22 kids is trans’ at UC Davis.

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Responding to the video on X, Bourne wrote: ‘I am not okay with children being exposed to drag queens. 

The performers were at the hotel to participate in a brunch for Pride month

The performers were at the hotel to participate in a brunch for Pride month

‘Several other Alohilani hotel guests told me they also found it offensive so I spoke up to the manager yesterday. I was briefly detained by police, refunded my hotel charges, and have no regrets for speaking up. 

‘If we can be heard, this will end.’

Bourne became an anti-trans activist following the rupture of her relationship with her nonbinary eldest of two child.

Lily, 18, came out as nonbinary five years ago, moving out of Bourne’s home in their junior year of high school after clashes over their gender identity, as reported by The Sacramento Bee. 

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