Numerous other bills have been signed into law by Gov. Josh Green in the last few days. And Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi updated reporters on a housing project.
Hawaii soon will no longer be the only state without a fire marshal, thanks to legislation that was signed into law Friday.
But it may take up to a year to set up an Office of the State Fire Marshal and hire for the position, Hawaii County Fire Department Chief Kazuo Todd said at a press conference in Honolulu at the State Capitol.
That’s in part because the county fire departments are preparing for the peak of Hawaii’s fire season next month.
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Todd, one of many people involved with the crafting of Senate Bill 2085, called the fire marshal position “crucial.”
Hawaii County Fire Department Chief Kazuo Todd discusses the new state fire marshal Friday at the State Capitol. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
“This has been something that we’ve been lacking for almost four decades now,” he said. “This position will make a difference in our local situation by allowing us to have someone at the state level focused in on these problems that are currently plaguing our state.”
The bill signing in the governor’s fifth floor ceremonial room was one of two press conferences Friday that saw nearly 20 bills enacted. On Wednesday Gov. Josh Green approved 12 bills regarding agriculture, biosecurity and land management.
This week’s flurry comes ahead of Wednesday’s deadline for the governor to sign, veto or let bills from the 2024 Legislature become law without his signature.
The fire marshal bill along with several related measures were very much top of mind as the state nears the one-year anniversary of the Aug. 8 wildfires that killed at least 102 people on Maui. Green noted that, at one point, the state had more than 3,000 households living in area hotels due to the loss of homes.
“This morning it was four households and 13 people,” he said. “So that’s 99.99%.”
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Green also said that, of the 4,000 properties and other structures that were destroyed, 88% of the debris has now been removed from residential lots.
Gov. Josh Green and Reps. Linda Ichiyama and Rose Martinez hold bills signed into law Friday that stemmed from the Aug. 8 fires which destroyed much of Lahaina and parts of Upcountry Maui. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
The fire marshal bill was one of four fire-related fire bills. A second gives law enforcement and fire officials more authority to inspect premises to ensure compliance with the state’s Fireworks Control Law.
A third bill establishes a language access coordinator so that emergency management officials can help people whose first language is not English.
And a fourth fire bill creates the offense of charitable fraud during a state of emergency to crack down on deceptive acts or practices. Civil Beat reported on possible fraudulent fundraising efforts after the fires.
The governor said that anyone found violating the new law would be penalized harshly.
Sen. Angus McKelvey, who represents Lahaina, championed the bill.
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“I can’t reiterate what the governor said enough — that if you come into Hawaii with fraud as an intention, you will pay the price,” McKelvey said. “We’ve seen so many families who have suffered so much absolute hell. And when people give money, they’re relying on the fact that the money they give is going to be in the hands of the very victims, not elsewhere. It’s not going to enrich those for other purposes.”
McKelvey, who lost his home in the fire, said charitable fraud ends up diminishing the fundraising work of reputable groups because it makes some donors think their contributions would be wasted.
Public Safety
At a second bill-signing event, Green approved two measures relating to traffic and public safety.
House Bill 2526 increases to a class C felony a third or subsequent offense involving unauthorized driving or operation of motor vehicles. The vehicle used in the offense could also be subject to forfeiture.
HB 2526 was inspired by the 2023 traffic death of a McKinley High School student. But last month the governor said he might veto it because it could increase caseloads for prosecutors, law enforcement, the Judiciary, the Hawaii Public Defender’s Office and the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation without providing additional funding for enforcement.
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Green said he changed his mind after speaking with the author of the bill, House Speaker Scott Saiki.
Saiki said at the press conference that some 9,000 people a year are believed to drive in Hawaii without licenses.
“Sadly, there are just too many people in Hawaii who die or are seriously injured while they are a passenger in a vehicle, on a sidewalk, or even in a crosswalk,” said Saiki, who represents the district where the fatality occurred. “This year, the Legislature made it a priority to work on pedestrian and traffic safety. We know that something has to change in Hawaii.“
Green also signed Senate Bill 2347, which establishes the offense of habitual violent crime. It was opposed by the Public Defender’s Office, the Community Alliance on Prisons and the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, which generally argued the bill was unnecessary.
Not so, said Sen. Sharon Moriwaki.
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She said that many of her Waikiki constituents have complained about multiple assaults in her district.
Kauhale Updates
The Friday flow of press conferences began with Green and Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi holding a media briefing on an emergency shelter and housing facility on Kapiolani Boulevard.
Waikiki Vista, a former educational facility, was purchased by the City and County of Honolulu two years ago for $37.5 million. Blangiardi said it was the largest acquisition in the history of the city.
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced updates at the Waikiki Vista building on Friday. The 19-story building, which is to the mayor’s right, houses an emergency shelter, transitional family housing and studio apartments. (Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024)
But the mayor said his administration recognized the property’s potential to develop both emergency and workforce housing.
In addition to being home to the Royal Hawaiian Band, Waikiki Vista has provided emergency shelter and transitional housing to 21 families including 37 adults and 41 children.
Housing Solutions is the property manager for the building, and manages five floors of affordable housing studio units. And Catholic Charities Hawaii administers a program known as Hale Imi Ola, meaning “to seek life,” in offices on four floors.
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Full occupancy is expected by the end of the summer.
State and city officials said more help for the homeless is coming later this year, including a new facility on North King Street to provide medical triage services and a kauhale village of tiny homes.
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The third-ranked Hawaii men’s volleyball team had no problem recording its 11th sweep of the season, handling No. 6 BYU 25-18, 25-21, 25-16 tonight at Bankoh Arena at Stan Sheriff Center.
A crowd of 6,493 watched the Rainbow Warriors (14-1) roll right through the Cougars (13-4) for their 11th straight win.
Louis Sakanoko put down a match-high 15 kills and Adrien Roure added 11 kills in 18 attempts. Roure has hit .500 or better in three of his past four matches.
Junior Tread Rosenthal had a match-high 32 assists and guided Hawaii to a .446 hitting percentage.
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UH hit .500 in the first set, marking the third time in two matches against BYU it hit .500 or better in a set.
Hawaii has won seven of the past eight meetings against the Cougars (13-4), whose only two losses prior to playing UH were in five sets.
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Hawaii has lost six sets all season, with five of those sets going to deuce.
UH returns to the home court next week for matches Wednesday and Friday against No. 7 Pepperdine.
Hawaiian Airlines’ passengers are back in federal court trying to stop something most people assumed was already finished. They are no longer arguing about whether they are allowed to sue. They are now asking a judge to intervene and preserve Hawaiian as a standalone airline before integration advances to a point this spring where it cannot realistically be reversed.
That approach is far more aggressive than what we covered in Can Travelers Really Undo Alaska’s Hawaiian Airlines Takeover?. The earlier round focused on whether passengers had standing and could amend their complaint. This court round focuses on whether harm is already occurring and whether the court should act immediately rather than later. The shift is moving from procedural survival to emergency relief, which makes this filing different for Hawaii travelers.
The post-merger record is now the focus.
When the $1.9 billion acquisition closed in September 2024, the narrative was straightforward. Hawaiian would gain financial stability. Alaska would impose what it described early as “discipline” across routes and costs. Travelers were told they would benefit from broader connectivity, stronger loyalty alignment, and long-term fleet investments that Hawaiian could no longer fund independently.
Eighteen months later, the plaintiffs argue that the outcome has not matched the pitch. They cite reduced nonstop options on some Hawaii mainland routes, redeye-heavy return schedules that many readers openly dislike, and loyalty program changes that longtime Hawaiian flyers say diminished redemption value. They frame these not as routine airline integration but as signs that competitive pressure has weakened in our island state, where airlift determines price and critical access for both visitors and residents.
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What is different about this filing compared with earlier debates is that it relies on developments that have already occurred rather than on predictions about what might happen later.
The HA call sign has already been retired. Boston to Honolulu was cut before competitors signaled renewed service. Austin’s nonstop service ended. Multiple mainland departures shifted into overnight red-eyes. And next, the single reservation system transition is targeted for April 2026, a process already well underway.
Atmos replaced both Hawaiian Miles and Alaska’s legacy loyalty programs, and readers immediately reported higher award pricing, fewer cheap seats, no mileage upgrades, and confusion around status alignment and family accounts. Each of those events can be described as aspects of integration mechanics, but together they form the factual record that the plaintiffs are now asking a judge to examine in Yoshimoto v. Alaska Airlines.
The 40% capacity argument.
One of the more interesting claims tied to the court filing is that Alaska now controls more than 40% of Hawaii mainland U.S. capacity. That figure strikes at the core of the entire issue. That percentage does not automatically mean monopoly under antitrust law, but it does raise questions about concentration in a state that depends exclusively on air access for its only industry and its residents.
Hawaii is not a region where travelers have options. Every visitor, every neighbor island resident, and every business traveler depends on our limited air transportation. The plaintiffs contend that consolidation at that scale reduces competitive pressure and gives the dominant carrier far more leverage over pricing and scheduling decisions. Alaska says that competition remains robust from Delta, United, Southwest, and others, and that share shifts seasonally and by route.
Competitors reacted quickly.
While Alaska integrated Hawaiian’s network under its publicly stated discipline strategy, Delta announced its largest Hawaii winter schedule ever, beginning in December 2026. Delta’s Boston to Honolulu is slated to return, Minneapolis to Maui launches, and Detroit and JFK to Honolulu move to daily service. Atlanta also gains additional frequency. Widebodies are appearing where narrowbodies once operated, signaling Delta’s push into higher capacity and premium cabin layouts.
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Those moves complicate the monopoly narrative. If Delta is expanding aggressively, one argument is that competition remains active and responsive. At the same time, Delta filling routes Alaska trimmed may reinforce the idea that structural changes created openings competitors believe are profitable, and that markets respond when gaps appear.
What changed since October.
In October, we examined whether the case would survive dismissal and whether passengers could refile. That moment felt more procedural than what’s afoot now. It did not alter flights, fares, or loyalty programs.
This filing is different because it is tied to post-merger developments and seeks emergency relief. The plaintiffs are asking the court to prevent further integration while the merits are evaluated, arguing that each added step toward full consolidation this spring makes reversal less feasible as systems merge, crew scheduling aligns, fleet plans shift, and branding converges.
Airline mergers are designed to become embedded quickly, and once those pieces are fully intertwined, unwinding them becomes exponentially more difficult, which is why the plaintiffs are pressing forward now rather than waiting any longer.
The DOT conditions and the defense.
When the purchase of Hawaiian closed, the Department of Transportation imposed conditions that run for six years. Those conditions addressed maintaining capacity on overlapping routes, preserving certain interline agreements, protecting aspects of loyalty commitments, and safeguarding interisland service levels.
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Alaska will point to those commitments as evidence that consumer protections were built into the core approval. The plaintiffs, however, are essentially claiming that those conditions are either insufficient or that subsequent real-world changes undermine the spirit of what travelers were told would remain. That tension between formal commitments and actual experience is at the core of this dispute.
Hawaiian had not produced consistent profits for years.
That is the actual financial situation, without sentiment. Alaska did not spend $1.9 billion to preserve Hawaii nostalgia. It purchased aircraft, an international and trans-Pacific network reach, and a platform it thinks can return to profitability under tighter cost control.
What this means for travelers today.
Nothing about your Hawaiian Airlines ticket changes because of this filing. Flights remain scheduled. Atmos remains the reward program. Integration continues unless a judge intervenes.
However, Alaska now faces a renewed court challenge that points to concrete post-merger developments rather than speculative harm. That scrutiny alone can bring things to light and influence how aggressively future route decisions and loyalty adjustments occur.
Hawaiian Airlines’ travelers have been vocal since the start about pricing, redeyes, lost nonstops, and loyalty devaluation. Others have said very clearly that without Alaska, Hawaiian might not exist in any form at all. Both perspectives exist as background while a federal judge evaluates whether the integration should be impacted.
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You tell us: Eighteen months after Alaska took over Hawaiian, are your Hawaii flights better or worse than before, and what changed first for you: price, schedule, routes, interisland flights, or loyalty programs?
