The Primary Election on August 13th is less than 70 days away. As HPR’s Wayne Yoshioka reports. many candidates will be attending old plantation-style events.
Wayne Yoshioka is an award-winning journalist who has worked in television, print and radio in Hawaiʻi. He also has been on both sides of politics as a state departmental appointee and political/government reporter. He covered Hurricane Iwa (1982) as a TV reporter; was the State Department of Defense/Civil Defense spokesperson for Hurricane Iniki (1992); and, commanded a public affairs detachment in Afghanistan (2006). He has a master's degree in Communication from the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and is a decorated combat veteran (Legion of Merit, Bronze Star and 22 other commendation/service medals). He resides in Honolulu.
The state will have to pay $449 million to compensate government employees for coming to work during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Hawaii Government Employees Association accepted the state’s settlement offer for pandemic hazard pay.
Gov. Josh Green on Thursday urged state lawmakers to take action on wildfire recovery measures in the final days of the legislative session, saying that the legislature's "inaction" will place the state in danger of seeing increased energy costs.