Meet the new boss: State Sen. Sharon Moriwaki won’t confirm or deny that she’s the next vice chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee. But lots of folks in the Big Square Building on Beretania say it’s already a done deal.
The puka has been empty since Gil Keith-Agaran bailed on Halloween to concentrate on his legal work following the Lahaina wildfires. As WAM vice, Moriwaki (she represents the Waikiki-Ala Moana-Kakaako area) will be in charge of capital improvement projects for the Senate (with the blessing of her boss, Donovan Dela Cruz, of course).
It’s a powerful post. Keith-Agaran and his House of Representatives counterpart were responsible for doling out $1.7 billion in CIP for fiscal years 2024 and 2025. The projects include a whole lot of public schools.
And Randy Tanaka, who recently and mysteriously parted ways with the Department of Education as an assistant superintendent in charge of schools facilities, will be a session hire for none other than Moriwaki next year. Tanaka’s departure followed announcement of the DOE’s controversial plan to lapse $465 million in — drum roll, please — CIP.
The Sunshine Blog hears that the hirings have not been enthusiastically embraced by all in the Senate.
House call: The Hawaii House won’t be taking up an ethics complaint lodged against GOP Rep. David Alcos in spite of the wishes of Alfred Maglangit, owner of Design Works, an Ewa Beach general contractor. Maglangit recently wrote to Speaker Scott Saiki asking to look into Alcos’ “conduct and decorum,” as he put it.
Maglangit’s gripes center on allegations stemming from work on a Kapolei home, including the charge that Alcos “took the job illegally using my company name and license and convinced the homeowner to pay him cash due to the fact he has been accused of tax evasion with the IRS.”
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Maglangit also circulated his complaint to other House reps. That’s when Alcos (he represents District 41 covering a portion of Ewa Beach, Ocean Pointe and Barbers Point) sent his own message to his colleagues disputing Maglangit and stating he is working with his attorney to “evaluate my legal options.”
Saiki said he doesn’t plan to launch an ethics investigation into the matter.
Heavy metal: Three metal detectors have been installed at the Hawaii State Capitol, although it’s a work in progress. Beginning Monday, visitors were required to walk through the devices — two at the rotunda (that is, street) level elevators open to the public, and one at the chamber level (in the basement).
We say “work in progress” because, while visitors must walk through the detectors, they don’t have to subject their belongings such as backpacks and purses to the screening.
That’s because contractor Arekat Pacific Security has not yet put in machines to do that, and the guards are not allowed to search belongings. As one reporter quietly observed, “Let’s hope no one is concealing an AK-47, yeah?”
Yeah.
Hawaii now joins 37 other state capitols that have incorporated metal detection into their security measures, says the Department of Accounting and General Services and the Department of Public Safety.
Green stamps: Hawaii Gov. Josh Green unveiled his supplemental budget Monday. You can read all about it here. But isn’t it odd that the governor’s slide presentation of budget highlights featured a lot of photos of the governor himself? Like one on nearly every page.
Check out the entire press conference yourself.
Season’s greetings: In case you weren’t there, four state senators held a joint fundraiser the other day.
The Blog for once has nothing snarky to share, as the invite says so much. And it’s Christmas!
