Stewart Yerton

Honolulu

Senior Business Reporter at Honolulu Civil Beat

Senior Business Reporter, Honolulu Civil Beat

Articles

Hawaiʻi Will Receive $700 Million From Drug Companies Under Settlement

6 days ago | civilbeat.org | Stewart Yerton

Gov. Josh Green said the money will help “weather the storm” of potential cuts from Washington, D.C.Hawaiʻi will receive $700 million under a settlement with two major pharmaceutical companies that failed to properly label a blood thinner known to pose risks to non-Caucasian patients. Gov. Josh Green said he expects the money to be used for a variety of health and human services programs, subject to approval by the Legislature.
Progress Report: Will Reforms Stabilize Hawaiʻi Condo Insurance Costs?

1 week ago | civilbeat.org | Stewart Yerton

New bill establishes state insurance and loan programs after years of false starts, allowing the government to serve as the insurer of last resort for condo associations. Marcia Kimura needs help with her condo insurance. The 71-year-old retiree this year saw her association fee increase $71 a month because of rising insurance rates. It’s a lot for Kimura, whose income amounts to Social Security payments of about $865 per month.
Hawaii lawmakers pass HECO bill over objections of committee chairs

1 week ago | chronicle-tribune.com | Stewart Yerton

Hawaiʻi lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill intended to help shore up Hawaiian Electric Co.’s credit rating despite strong opposition from House and Senate committee chairs who helped vet the measure. The bill would impose a new fee on HECO customers to help pay for investments needed to protect the public from wildfires. But that’s not what drew criticism from Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, chair of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, and Rep.
Hawaiʻi Residents Could Face Electric Rate Hike In 2026

1 week ago | civilbeat.org | Stewart Yerton

Energy advocates say HECO’s effort to increase rates sidesteps ratepayer protection law. Utility regulators have given Hawaiian Electric Co. the green light to pursue its first major rate increase in more than five years. The result could mean higher electric bills for residents and businesses by the end of 2026. The utility says it has gone years without hiking its base ratedespite skyrocketing costs of materials.
Hawaii lawmakers pass HECO bill over objections of committee chairs

2 weeks ago | apnews.com | Stewart Yerton

Hawaiʻi lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill intended to help shore up Hawaiian Electric Co.’s credit rating despite strong opposition from House and Senate committee chairs who helped vet the measure. The bill would impose a new fee on HECO customers to help pay for investments needed to protect the public from wildfires. But that’s not what drew criticism from Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, chair of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, and Rep.
Lawmakers Pass HECO Bill Over Objections Of Committee Chairs

2 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Stewart Yerton

The controversy involves a cap on HECO’s liability for future wildfiresHawaiʻi lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill intended to help shore up Hawaiian Electric Co.’s credit rating despite strong opposition from House and Senate committee chairs who helped vet the measure. The bill would impose a new fee on HECO customers to help pay for investments needed to protect the public from wildfires. But that’s not what drew criticism from Sen.
Hawaii lawmakers pass HECO bill over objections of committee chairs

2 weeks ago | milescitystar.com | Stewart Yerton

Hawaiʻi lawmakers on Wednesday passed a bill intended to help shore up Hawaiian Electric Co.’s credit rating despite strong opposition from House and Senate committee chairs who helped vet the measure. The bill would impose a new fee on HECO customers to help pay for investments needed to protect the public from wildfires. But that’s not what drew criticism from Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole, chair of the Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee, and Rep.
Hawai‘i Lawmakers To Require Audit Of Green's Kauhale Homeless Initiative

2 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Stewart Yerton

The governor says the funding legislators also approved will keep the state on track to have 30 kauhale villages by 2026. Hawaiʻi lawmakers are calling for a performance and management audit of Gov. Josh Green’s signature kauhale initiative. The audit request came late Friday as members of a House and Senate conference committee passed a bill to fund the initiative, which provides small shelters and support services to Hawaiʻi’s homeless population.
Hawaiʻi's Pledge To Free Itself From Fossil Fuel Hits New Roadblocks

2 weeks ago | civilbeat.org | Stewart Yerton

Two bills still alive could move the state toward its goal — but at a price. The state’s promise to produce all of its own electricity by 2045 faces mounting obstacles in the form of tariffs, a hostile Trump administration and a financially troubled utility. Policymakers, from the governor to utility regulators, are pushing to stay on track. But some changes now on the table could mean higher electric bills and a compromise that renewable energy advocates don’t like.
Hawaii spent millions on housing for the homeless. Show us the receipts

4 weeks ago | apnews.com | Blaze Lovell |Stewart Yerton

The state agency in charge of Hawaiʻi’s homeless villages lacks the records to show how millions of dollars paid to a nonprofit to build hundreds of housing units was actually spent, a Civil Beat review of contract documents and invoices found. Since late 2023, the state has issued more than $37.1 million in no-bid contracts to HomeAid Hawaiʻi to build small dwellings as part of Gov. Josh Green’s signature Kauhale Initiative.