Legalizing Transient Rentals; Increasing Tobacco Restrictions; Blue Planet Energy in Puerto Rico
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Honolulu Mayor Calls for Legalization and Regulation of Transient Accommodations
The failure of counties to enforce zoning codes has added to the state’s housing crisis with a staggering number of runaway illegal vacation rentals. Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell is proposing to try and fix that broken picture by legalizing Bed and Breakfasts, with operators paying higher taxes and penalties for violations.
Outro Music: Waves by Bahamas
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Local Energy Group Returns from Puerto Rico
Blue Planet Energy, a Honolulu-based provider of off-grid energy storage systems, is just back from Puerto Rico, where the company has been aiding in the rebuilding of Puerto Rico’s energy grid.
Outro Music: Pohakuloa by Moses Kahumoku
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Civil Beat Reality Check
Hawaii’s roadways were constructed when sea level rise was unimaginable, but today our ocean-side, low-lying highways are already feeling the effects of global warming. The Department of Transportation is estimating the cost of repair at $15 billion over several decades.
Outro Music: Me and a Memory by Shotgun Rider
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Tobacco Restrictions Considered at the Legislature
Lawmakers are taking up two bills today, one making the University of Hawaii a tobacco-free zone and another to restrict access to e-cigs to those under 21. The Hawaii Public Health Institute supports both measures.
Photo Credit: Vaping360
