Some legislators are quietly robbing basic constitutional civil rights of their private property owners constituents!
We were informed a couple days ago that HB1990 is sailing through! This is an abusive and greedy bill – – A notice of violation of ANY county zoning ordinance, rule or regulation shall be fined . . . $1000 per day subject to a lien if the fines exceed $20,000 and subject to foreclosure within 30 days of notice.
The Bill affects ALL Counties.
Who in Oahu alone can get a quick response from the County within 30 days! There are 30 days in a month, so $20,000 is easy number to become ripe for foreclosure!
What can you do?
Email the Senators. Tell them to “KILL HB1990” and other opinions you may have. Cut and paste on your email addresses.
The person who just informed us of HB1900(2026) also shared HB811(2025).
HB811( 2025) too is very alarming and jarring. Who in their right mind think that fines of $5,000 should trigger a foreclosure within 30 days! Who knows how tedious and long it is to work with a county bureaucracy to get a permit for anything?
It’s common knowledge that any one or group can ask a Hawaii Legislator to draft a bill and sponsor it. This is a good democratic exercise for public participation.
However, there should be a litmus test to ensure that basic constitutional civil rights are not violated or infringed upon. Any proposed Bill ought to be for the public good and for the benefit for all Hawaii.
A proposed Bill can’t be appeasing one person or group to the detriment of the rest of Hawaii.
A proposed Bill cannot be a Mafia hit to a single issue because someone/group wants to. The Multiplier Impacts as well as Unintended Consequences on different levels of any proposed bill ought to analyzed and discussed intelligently BEFORE introduction.
I cannot recognize the signature of the legislative introducer. But the record shows the Introducers of HB811 as ( GANG OF SIX)
Introducer(s):
MATAYOSHI, CHUN, LEE, M., MARTEN, QUINLAN, TAKAYAMA
I would like to know what’s their heads? Does any one of them own property or know what it’s like to own a property? Why waste taxpayers’ money to write this type of pilau bill? Does the introducer even know a typical home in Hawaii is $1M? Most of our local families are not born with a silver spoon in their mouth. They work hard to own a house that they can call their own. Why turn their own constituents into a sitting duck for the long arm of the government? It’s never a good idea to give the long arm of the government more powers.
The above (2025) HB811 looks like an early draft to HB1990 (2026) which is sailing through quietly at the State Capitol as of this writing.
Note they’ve added a few more legislators to sign into it. GANG OF 14.
Introducer(s):
MATAYOSHI, GRANDINETTI, KILA, KUSCH, LEE, M., MARTEN, MORIKAWA, OLDS, TAKAYAMA, TAM, TARNAS, TEMPLO, TODD, WOODSON
2026 also has another similar Trojan Horse in HB1861. The Introducers are recorded as (GANG OF 4)
Introducer(s):
QUINLAN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, OLDS
Did you legislator tell you about this possible sea-change?
Do you know what’s going on? Has any of your legislators disclose this drastic actions to you? The common denominator for repeat introducers is QUINLAN, MARTEN, MATAYOSHI, OLDS, CHUN*.
What’s just as alarming is that these Capitol Committee Chairs have the tendency to simply get along to move along to the detriment of the public. They spill out the same old illogical phrases – “This Bill deserves more conversation” or “This deserves more discussion” or “This deserves more dialogue”. They cherry-pick what they want to hear and do. They usually prepare the “amendments” before hand. So the Committee Chair will pass it out to the next chain for the sake of “more conversation”.
How can a conversation work for the constituents with a 2-minute testimony? How does a conversation work for the 99.9% public who cannot attend these hearings?
Shouldn’t these discussions/dialogue/conversations happening with the grassroots constituents first?
First, constituents need to know about these Bills. Constituents need to know about these Bills BEFORE they are introduced and put on the fast track to adopt. After-the-Fact laws is sneaky and undemocratic.
All these new civil fines and foreclosures began with Honolulu Mayor Blangiardi in 2021. He persisted each subsequent year until Representative Corey Chun of Waipahu because the sole introducer of similar agenda in 2025.
But the Hawaii State Legislature HB1990 to fine residents $1000 a day and quick foreclosure is secretly sailing through.
We are trying to stop HB1861 with the same agenda. But we did not know about HB1990. It feels sneaky. Why no disclosure of these significant changes that affect the lives of residents. Ordinary residents shouldn’t have to bird-dog politicians to make sure they do us no harm or just introduce hamajang Bills!
This agenda to have a new foreclosure powers through new county fines was initiated by Mayor Blangiardi in 2021. Blangiardi pushed every year. In 2025, a similar Bill 29 was introduced by House Representative Corey Chun of Waipahu.
This year, HB1861 was introduced by four (4) House Representatives – Sean Quinlan, Scott Matayoshi, Lisa Marten and Ikaika Olds.
Unfortunately, while ordinary residents were stopping HB1861, there was a concurrent BILL HB1990 sailing through. We heard about it a day ago! What a devious system! Three of the 4 Introducers for HB1861 are also introducers for HB1990 – Scott Matayoshi, Lisa Marten, and Ikaiko Olds. ( Sean Quinland’s name is no longer here.)
This unconstitutional agenda has been ongoing and initiated by Mayor Blangiardi since 2021. Blangiardi pushed every year. In 2025, a similar Bill 29 was introduced by House Representative Corey Chun of Waipahu. 2026 brought new and more introducers!
Or is it because we forget we live on an island and keep cementing?
Here are some comments for thoughts.
Oahu’s topography looks like this. There is not much flat land. But somehow, the powers-that-be keep thinking they can develop more and more without serious infrastructure engineering.
The uphill streams need to be maintained and cleaned. The drainages and culverts need to be cleaned out. If the County says it does not have the staff or its hard to find employees, what’s going to happen?
If the County approves a subdivision or project without an over-arching drainage system, legit traffic study, or other municipal services, what’s going to happen?
” Friday the 13th took on a deeper meaning when the winds and rains started. Kona low impacting Hawaii A subtropical system called a Kona low is passing north of Hawaii. This brings screaming southwest winds ahead of the storm’s cold front. This causes upsloping winds on the west-facing, or “Kona”, side of the mountains.“
KITV provides helpful hints as this Kona Low Disaster winds down. We were without electric for about 2 days but it was nothing like the Iniki Hurricane that lasted for about five days for us in Laie. The entire island lacked electricity and television service for an extended period. Electric companies restored only 20% of the island’s power service within four weeks of Iniki, while other areas had no power for three to four months. (AI)
Outage update as of 9 p.m. HST on Sunday, March 15, 2026: Hundreds of our employees and contractors have been working non-stop to restore power to customers impacted by the destructive Kona Low storm. In many areas, toppled trees, branches and other debris must be cleared before damage assessments and repairs can begin. All customers are urged to stay prepared for potential extended outages.
As of 9 p.m.:
• Oahu: About 7,000 customers in areas including Nanakuli, Kaimuki, Kaneohe, and Waipio, are without power (3% of customers on island). The H-3 Freeway was reopened in both directions shortly after 6 p.m. after crews completed repairs to a major transmission line that crosses over traffic.
• Maui County: This evening, crews restored power to a majority of South Maui customers. Crews also brought back online a majority of Kula customers between the Omaopio Road area to Lower Kula Highway. About 4,600 customers (6% of customers on Maui) are currently without power, with the majority in Upcountry and East Maui.
• Hawaii Island: About 14,500 customers are without power in various areas around the island. Today, crews worked in Keaau, Kurtistown, Mountain View, Volcano, South Point, and North and South Kona. Two transmission lines also were repaired, and repairs to a third line are expected to be completed by tomorrow. Damage assessments were conducted in accessible areas in Kaloko, Holualoa, South Point, Volcano Village, Mauna Loa Estates, Royal Hawaiian Estates, and Nanawale Estates. In total, 30 damaged or broken poles were identified.
Customers can view current outages and report outages on the outage map at hawaiianelectric.com and on the mobile app. Estimated restoration times displayed on the outage maps are approximations. Inspections must be completed and any repairs made before power can be safely restored.
Customers experiencing a long duration power outage can find safety reminders and other tips in our Handbook for Emergency Preparedness available on hawaiianelectric.com/prepare.
HOW WE RESTORE FOLLOWING A STORM:
We don’t restore power based on when customers report an outage, where customers live or the status of accounts. Rather, we begin with multiple locations and follow an overall plan that calls for restoring power to the largest number of customers safely and as quickly as possible.
• We start by repairing any damage to our power plants and the power lines that carry electricity from our plants to the local substations.
• We prioritize restoring power to critical facilities such as hospitals, water pumping sites, wastewater plants, military facilities, and airports.
• At the same time, we work to return service to the largest number of customers in the shortest amount of time.
• From here, we repair the infrastructure serving smaller groups and neighborhoods, converging on the hardest hit areas until every customer’s power is restored.
U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa formally announces she is running for governor during a gathering on the east lawn of the State Capitol building with dozens of her supporters in 2018.
Colleen Hanabusa, a formidable Hawaii politician and prominent labor lawyer from Waianae who served in Congress but failed to become Hawaii’s governor and Honolulu’s mayor, died early Friday morning at the age of 74.
Hanabusa had been hospitalized for five months with cancer, her family said.
Gov. Josh Green ordered the U.S. and Hawaiian flags be flown at half-staff at the state Capitol, all state offices and agencies, and all Hawaii National Guard facilities in honor of Hanabusa, a former U.S. representative and president of the state Senate who more recently chaired the board of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation.
“Colleen Opens in a new tab Hanabusa dedicated her life to serving the people of Hawaii Opens in a new tab — from the Waianae Coast she proudly called home, to the halls of the Hawaii State Capitol and the United States Congress,” Green said in a news release. “She broke barriers as the first woman to serve as President of the Hawaii State Senate and spent decades advocating for her community with strength, determination and heart. Her legacy of leadership and public service will continue to inspire generations to come.”
Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, who appointed Hanabusa to the HART chair, said in a statement, “Hawaii has lost a remarkable leader, and we all have lost a friend. Managing Director Mike Formby and I had a close relationship with Colleen, and she dedicated her life to serving the people of Hawaii with intelligence, determination, and an unwavering sense of purpose.”
City & County of Honolulu flags also will be lowered today through Sunday to honor her.
Hanabusa ended her political career at HART after she, Blangiardi and Lori Kahikina — HART’s executive director and CEO — proposed truncating the route to regain the confidence of the Federal Transit Authority, got long-awaited federal dollars flowing back to the project and opened the first leg of the Skyline system in June 2023.
Asked why Hanabusa would agree to serve as an unpaid volunteer while the rail project faced intense criticism at home and in Washington, D.C., Blangiardi told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Friday that “It speaks volumes about her. What it says is that she put Hawaii first.”
Kahikina said, “On behalf of myself and the entire HART Ohana, we are deeply saddened by the news of Colleen Hanabusa’s passing. My deepest sympathy goes out to the Hanabusa ohana. I greatly appreciate her contributions to the Honolulu rail project, and respect and admire her work as a tireless advocate and public servant. HART extends its sincere condolences to all who had the privilege of knowing Colleen.”
Hanabusa was born May 4, 1951, and raised in Waianae where her great-grandparents worked on a sugar plantation and her family later established a service station, Hanabusa Service, in 1948.
Because her parents, June and Isao, devoted so much time to the family business, Hanabusa was raised largely by her maternal grandmother.
After graduating from St. Andrew’s Priory in 1969, Hanabusa earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and economics from the University of Hawaii in 1973, and followed it with a master’s degree in sociology in 1975 and then a law degree in 1977 also from UH.
As a labor lawyer during the 1980s and early 1990s under her married name at the time, Colleen Sakurai, Hanabusa represented some high-profile clients who were politically powerful and others who were politicians or intersected with politics.
Clients from that time included the Hawaii Teamsters Union in a legal fight to represent state corrections officers, and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 5 union in a dispute over picketing during a statewide hotel strike.
Hanabusa also represented Honolulu City Council members in a 1993 legal skirmish with then-Mayor Frank Fasi to stop him from using Oahu Neighborhood Board elections as an “advisory referendum” on tax funding for a $2 billion Fasi rail transit plan.
One of those Council members, Arnold Morgado, ran for mayor in 1994cq special election and 1996 with Hanabusa as a campaign strategist and attorney. Morgado lost both times to Jeremy Harris.
In 1998, Hanabusa sought political office herself. She ran for a state Senate seat against Sen. James Aki, the Democratic incumbent who a year earlier had been granted deferred acceptance of a no-contest plea to two felony gambling charges. Hanabusa won the primary and went on to win the general election to represent Nanakuli, Waianae and Makaha.
As a first-term lawmaker, Hanabusa quickly made a name for herself by helping organize the rejection of Margery Bronster as then-Gov. Ben Cayetano’s nominee for attorney general.
Then in 2001, she spearheaded efforts to reform state civil service laws, an action that stirred up politically powerful public worker unions.
“While the effort won quick public praise, it immediately drew the opposition of public employee unions, and Hanabusa, although being a labor lawyer, was never a favorite daughter of the public unions,” Honolulu Star-Bulletin reporter and political columnist Richard Borreca wrote in a column a few years later.
Hanabusa caught some heat and tangled with Cayetano again a few years later over legislation she introduced to provide Jeff Stone, developer of Ko Olina Resort & Marina, with $75 million in state tax credits to build a “world class” aquarium to enhance the resort.
The Legislature passed the bill in 2002, but Cayetano vetoed it. In response, Hanabusa sued Cayetano and reintroduced the bill in 2003 after Republican Linda Lingle beat then-Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono to succeed Cayetano. The bill passed again and was signed by Lingle.
A year later, Hanabusa drew flack after it became publicly known that the home she shared at Ko Olina with her fiancee at the time, state Sheriff John F. Souza III, was sold to Souza by Stone, and that Souza also rented an office from Stone that Hanabusa rented from Souza for her law practice. Souza, a friend of Stone’s, had a trucking company that helped build homes at the resort.
Hanabusa, Souza and Stone said at the time that the real estate deals were at market prices and unrelated to the tax-credit legislation. Hanabusa shortly thereafter married Souza. Later, the aquarium project fizzled.
Higher power
While serving in the Legislature, Hanabusa pursued ambitions for higher office that resulted in two unsuccessful runs for Congress that didn’t put at risk her position in the state Senate.
Hanabusa’s first attempt in 2003 was to fill a vacancy representing urban Honolulu created by the death of U.S. Rep. Patsy Mink. Ed Case won the special election featuring 43 candidates. Hanabusa placed third.
Three years later, Hanabusa challenged Hirono to replace Case, who gave up his U.S. House seat representing rural parts of the state in an unsuccessful bid to unseat U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka.
Touting her deep westside roots, Hanabusa announced her campaign in front of her family’s service station. “I believe I’ve been a loud voice for the people of the Waianae Coast,” she said. “I hope that the rest of the 2nd Congressional (District) will want to see a Waianae girl there.”
The primary election drew nine Democratic competitors. Hanabusa placed second to Hirono, who was born in Japan and moved to Hawaii when she was 8.
As an unrelated sort of consolation prize, Hanabusa was named Senate president in 2007 and became the first woman to lead the Senate or House of Representatives in Hawaii’s Legislature.
Hanabusa had angled for the Senate’s top position for several years, and succeeded despite early negative feedback.
Local historian Bob Dye wrote in a 2001 Honolulu Advertiser column that Hanabusa was told her goal was unattainable in part because she was a freshman at the time but also because she was a woman and had a “take no prisoners” political style.
Hanabusa’s time in the Legislature and as Senate president lasted until 2010 when then-U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie resigned to take office as Hawaii’s governor.
Abercrombie’s vacancy in Congress resulted in a special election that was won by Republican Charles Djou due to Hanabusa and Case splitting many Democratic votes, but Hanabusa defeated Djou with 53% of the vote in a regular election five months later to represent urban Honolulu.
Spurn and return
When Hawaii’s revered U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye died in late 2012 at age 88, Hanabusa as his political protege saw a good opportunity to fill the seat, especially because Inouye before death conveyed his “last wish” for her to succeed him.
Abercrombie, however, as governor would pick Inouye’s interim successor, and named his lieutenant governor at the time, Brian Schatz, to fill out the last two years of Inouye’s term.
Two years later, Hanabusa did not seek reelection to her House seat and instead challenged Schatz for his Senate seat, in what became an intense and bruising showdown.
Some Schatz supporters and Hanabusa critics made a case that Schatz, then 41, was positioned to establish longer-term seniority in Congress compared with Hanabusa, then 63.
Hanabusa discounted the notion, telling the Washington Post, “It’s almost like saying that somebody would be anointed for 40 years.”
Schatz won the 2014 primary election by a narrow margin, and Hanabusa returned to Honolulu to practice law.
Honolulu’s mayor at the time, Kirk Caldwell, quickly appointed Hanabusa to the board of directors of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation overseeing the city’s overdue and over-budget rail project.
UH also selected Hanabusa to teach a course on civil liberties in times of crisis in 2016 as a visiting scholar funded by the Daniel K. Inouye Institute.
Hanabusa was HART’s board chair until 2016 when she returned to Capitol Hill after easily winning an election to succeed then-U.S. Rep. Mark Takai, who decided not to seek reelection due to cancer that led to his death soon after.
Back to HART
Just a year later, in 2017, Hanabusa declared that she wouldn’t seek reelection to the U.S. House so that she could to run for governor in a bid to prevent then-Gov. David Ige from being elected in 2018 to a second four-year term.
During a televised debate, Hanabusa criticized Ige for his handling of a January 2018 false missile alert from the Hawaii Emergency Management Agency, calling the incident that generated widespread public panic “a systemic failure of leadership” by Ige’s administration.
“You had no plan to begin with, and you didn’t know when something went wrong,” Hanabusa said. “Will you finally take personal responsibility for the missile fiasco?”
Ige won the primary contest, and Hanabusa finished out her congressional term in January 2019.
Out of office once again, Hanabusa mounted a campaign in 2020 to succeed term-limited Caldwell as mayor amid a crowded nonpartisan field of 15 candidates who included former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, then-City Council member Kym Pine, former state high school athletics chief Keith Amemiya and former local television station general manager Rick Blangiardi.
Hanabusa finished third in the primary behind Amemiya and Blangiardi, who won the general election. Blangiardi in 2021 reappointed Hanabusa to HART’s board.
On Sept. 23, Hanabusa offered her letter of resignation to Blangiardi, effective Sept. 30, following her absence from the August HART board meeting. In the letter she said she could no longer effectively serve on the board where her term was to have run through June 30, 2026.
“Colleen and I once stood on opposite sides of a mayoral race, but what grew from that experience was a relationship built on mutual respect and friendship,” the mayor said Friday. “I came to appreciate her insight, her honesty, and her deep commitment to this community. I was grateful when she agreed to serve as Chair of the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation Board. Her leadership and steady guidance were instrumental during an important time for the Skyline project.”
Hanabusa is survived by her husband John Souza.
Star-Advertiser reporter Peter Boylan contributed to this report.
