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The Chamber View: Businesses recognized, promoted and challenged

While things are always busy at the Maui Chamber of Commerce, we tend to be particularly busy at the beginning of the legislative session when so many new bills are heard and decisions are being made on whether bills will move forward. This was one of those weeks. It was also exhilarating to work with the county Office of Economic Development on the 2013 Mayor's Small Business Awards, hold our February Business After Hours at the J. Walter Cameron Center, and prepare for a new Maui Chamber of Commerce radio program called "Business Matters."Testimony was provided on many bills, opposing ...

Business / In Brief • Feb. 15, 2013

Hawaiian Airlines to add Sendai flightsHONOLULU - Hawaiian Airlines says it is planning a new route between Honolulu and Sendai, Japan.Airline officials said Thursday that the service three times weekly will begin June 25 if the Japanese government approves it.The airline says flights will fly direct from Honolulu to Sendai and stop in Sapporo from Sendai on the way back to Honolulu.Officials say it's the first link between Sendai and Hawaii since another airline stopped its service in 2004.Hawaiian Airlines currently flies from Hawaii to five Japanese cities.

Business / In Brief • Feb. 14, 2013

Alaska Airlines gifts a million miles to Hawaii's Make-A-WishHONOLULU - Alaska Airlines is donating 1 million air miles to Make-A-Wish Hawaii.The announcement was made Tuesday by Alaska's board of directors and executives at a dinner in Hawaii attended by nearly 300 government, tourism, business and community leaders.Alaska Airlines says it has developed a new partnership with Make-A-Wish Hawaii to aid in the nonprofit group's mission of granting the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. The Seattle-based airline says it also will donate 100 miles to Make-A-Wish ...

Hawaii lawmakers move forward with anti-GMO bill

HONOLULU (AP) - Advocates of all-natural food in Hawaii scored a partial victory when the House Committee on Agriculture passed a measure to require labeling on genetically modified food.The committee approved the bill Thursday but amended it so it only applies to produce imported from outside Hawaii.Numerous proponents of the bill testified before the House committee this week.They say they deserve to know whether the food they are buying has been genetically modified.Several opponents of the bill said they are worried about how the measure could affect local farmers.They also argue ...

The Chamber View: Lawmakers poised to renege on tax promises

Here in Hawaii, do taxes go back down once they are raised? Surely they do if lawmakers agree to sunset the tax hike (revert it to its prior lower level) when passing the increase, right? Not necessarily.The Legislature, by Act 61, SLH 2009, increased the transient accommodations tax (TAT) from 7.25 percent to 8.25 percent between July 1, 2009, and June 20, 2010, and to 9.25 percent from July 1, 2010, to June 30, 2015, with the proceeds attributable to the increase used to shore up the state's general fund. This was done despite visitor industry concerns.At that time, lawmakers said the ...

Business / In Brief • Feb. 7, 2013

Funds being sought for control of beetleHONOLULU - Hawaii lawmakers want to dedicate more than $1 million over the next two years to mitigate the effects of a beetle that is endangering the state's coffee crops.Almost a dozen representatives co-sponsored a bill to spend $1 million on research to figure out how to stop the beetle from infesting Hawaii coffee plantations.The lawmakers also want $330,000 to fund a task force to control existing infestations.The bill has been referred to the agriculture and finance committees. It hasn't been scheduled for a hearing yet.*****Passenger ...