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New Hawaii law expands abortion access, protects providers

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New Hawaii law expands abortion access, protects providers


HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii’s governor on Wednesday signed laws increasing entry to abortion and placing into regulation latest government orders defending native well being care suppliers from prosecution by out-of-state authorities.

State Sen. Pleasure San Buenaventura, a Democrat, advised a bill-signing ceremony that three generations of ladies have grown up with reproductive rights being a given after the U.S. Supreme Courtroom’s 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. Hawaii lawmakers acted so that may proceed to be the case although the excessive court docket overturned Roe final 12 months, she mentioned.

“Hawaii will proceed to be a beacon … physicians want solely take into consideration their sufferers and needn’t have to fret about prosecutions or extradition,” mentioned San Buenaventura, who’s the chairperson of the Senate Well being and Human Companies Committee.

The brand new regulation signed by Gov. Josh Inexperienced handed by giant majorities within the state Home and Senate, that are each dominated by Democrats.

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The measure expands abortion entry by permitting doctor assistants to carry out medical and surgical abortions throughout the first trimester of being pregnant. A number of different states together with Washington, Connecticut and Maryland already enable this apply. Beforehand, solely medical doctors and superior apply registered nurses may carry out the process in Hawaii.

The brand new regulation repeals a requirement that abortions be carried out at a hospital or clinic. Medical doctors mentioned the outdated regulation didn’t account for medical abortions that may be carried out at a affected person’s residence with remedy prescribed remotely.

The measure permits minors to get abortions with out the consent of a guardian or guardian. Supporters say that is vital for victims of incest and violence and people whose mother and father could search to hurt their baby for having an abortion.

Some states which have restricted abortion in recent times have indicated they could prosecute individuals in reference to abortions carried out in different states.

To stop that from affecting Hawaii, the brand new measure codifies into regulation an an government order then-Gov. David Ige signed final 12 months to cease different states from sanctioning native medical doctors and nurses who present abortion care out-of-state residents quickly within the islands.

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Hawaii is a serious vacationer vacation spot and has many vacationers. It’s additionally residence to school college students in addition to army personnel and their dependents who could preserve residency of their residence states whereas they reside within the islands quickly. Native medical doctors say they’ve supplied abortions to extra out-of-state residents because the overturning of Roe.

San Buenaventura remarked on the information that an Idaho hospital would cease delivering infants partially as a result of medical doctors had been leaving in response to just lately handed state legal guidelines criminalizing medical care. She mentioned she would welcome these medical doctors in Hawaii.

“To these noble physicians, I say, ‘E Komo Mai. Hawaii welcomes you.’ As a result of immediately Hawaii has proven that we’ll stand by our medical suppliers, that we’ll stand with our physicians, and that those that present secure abortion and contraception — even when it’s simply to supply recommendation to vacationers — is not going to must worry arrest, extradition, subpoena,” she mentioned.

Hawaii regulation permits abortion till a fetus can be viable exterior the womb. After that, it’s authorized if a affected person’s life or well being is in peril. The state legalized abortion in 1970, when it turned the primary within the nation to permit the process at a lady’s request.



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Hawaii nonprofits brace for less federal funding

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Hawaii nonprofits brace for less federal funding


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Hawaii nonprofits that provide critical social safety nets are facing economic hardship of their own.

President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is expected to slash federal appropriations, government contracts and grant awards, and heavily impact social services across the state.

Melissa Pavlicek, Hawaii True Cost Coalition, explained, “The community-based organizations that are providing key government services are already struggling to provide those services. Some of their contract prices have not increased in over 10 years. The cost to provide those services is significantly greater. The transportation costs, rent, employees, food, everything has gone up. And to serve the community costs more. So we’re looking to our state policy leaders to help ensure those services are continued.”

To mitigate the potential fallout or disruption of services, nonprofit leaders are working to fill the gaps with the help of lawmakers, private donors, philanthropy, corporate foundations and residents themselves.

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Suzanne Skjold, Aloha United Way COO, said, “Whether that’s helping your neighbor, maybe donating to a charity that is losing a program, even getting involved politically, locally, you know, voting matters. Being involved in our legislature matters.”

“The slack really has to be picked up by the state and county governments as well as the private sector,” warned U.S. Rep. Ed Case, D-Hawaii, “and so these are gonna be tough times and I’m telling everybody, hey, let’s, not sugarcoat this. We have to be prepared for the unexpected.”

Another concern is legislation that some believe if passed could be used to target progressive nonprofits opposed by the Trump administration.

For now, community advocates are urged to keep calm.

Case said, “The first thing I would advise everybody is not to freak out. That we have been through changes in administration before. That these are core federal programs that within Congress, even a divided and polarized Congress, many, many people from both parties support these programs.”

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“We want to make sure Hawaii doesn’t become the kind of place where we lead in a way that’s hateful to others,” Skjold said.



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Visitors warned after toddler nearly runs off 400-foot cliff near Hawaii volcano

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Visitors warned after toddler nearly runs off 400-foot cliff near Hawaii volcano


The National Park Service is warning parents to keep their children close after a toddler ran toward the edge of a 400-foot-tall cliff at Hawaii National Park on Christmas.

The young boy was at the park with his family to view the eruption of the Kilauea volcano. They were in a closed area at Kilauea Overlook when he wandered away from his family before the “near miss.” His mother, screaming, managed to grab him just about a foot away from a fatal fall.

“Park rangers remind visitors to stay on trail, stay out of closed areas and to keep their children close, especially when watching Kīlauea from viewpoints along Crater Rim Trail. Those who ignore the warnings, walk past closure signs, lose track of loved ones, and sneak into closed areas to get a closer look do so at great risk,” the agency warned.

People watch as an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Monday. The volcanic eruption, which started on Monday, is now in its second pause. But, park officials are issuing a warning to visitors after an almost disastrous incident occurred near the volcano

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People watch as an eruption takes place on the summit of the Kilauea volcano in Hawaii on Monday. The volcanic eruption, which started on Monday, is now in its second pause. But, park officials are issuing a warning to visitors after an almost disastrous incident occurred near the volcano ((Janice Wei/NPS via AP))

Rangers noted that dangers escalate during volcanic eruptions, as people flock to view the spectacle of lava flowing out of the Earth’s crust. The Park Service urged drivers to slow, and watch out for pedestrians, Hawaiian geese, and switch to low beams when other cars and pedestrians are present.

The eruption, which started on December 23, is now in its second pause, according to the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory. But, it could still restart at any time.

Furthermore, emissions of toxic gas remain high, including particulate matter called tephra. Billions of minuscule pieces of tephra, which include all fragments of rock ejected into the air by an erupting volcano, can be carried on winds for thousands of miles and can cause respiratory issues. Volcanoes also produce dangerous gases, like carbon dioxide and hydrogen chloride.

Tephra has blanketed the closed portion of Crater Rim Drive downwind of the lava.

Lava fountains erupt in Kīlauea crater as seen from Kūpinaʻi Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Monday. Hazards increase for parkgoers during volcanic eruptions

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Lava fountains erupt in Kīlauea crater as seen from Kūpinaʻi Pali in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Monday. Hazards increase for parkgoers during volcanic eruptions (NPS)

“The hazards that coincide with an eruption are dangerous, and we have safety measures in place including closed areas, barriers, closure signs, and traffic management,” Park Superintendent Rhonda Loh said in a statement.

“Your safety is our utmost concern, but we rely on everyone to recreate responsibility. National parks showcase nature’s splendor but they are not playgrounds,” she said.



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Hawaii Supreme Court rejects county council candidate’s election lawsuit

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Hawaii Supreme Court rejects county council candidate’s election lawsuit


HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Supreme Court has rejected a lawsuit by Maui County Council candidate Kelly King to overturn the general election results.

King lost her race last month to incumbent Tom Cook by 97 votes.

She argued the county rejected too many ballots because of missing or invalid signatures, and that voters weren’t offered enough help to fix the problems.

In Maui County, there were nearly 1,100 deficient ballots compared to the national average. King says Maui County’s rejection rate was nearly double the state average in 2022.

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But the high court ruled Tuesday that the County Clerk’s Office followed state law and all administrative rules to cure the deficient ballots.

View the full decision here.

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