Patti Epler
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Editor and General Manager at @CivilBeat 8123 316E A6DD 504A 1518 15FC 7EC8 7BEA 2F7E DACE
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Articles by Patti Epler
The Public Could Gain Free Access To These Government Records
A long-sought fee waiver for records that would help people understand government is in the works. Gov. Josh Green gets some of the credit. A few years ago, state prison officials kept getting sued because they were holding inmates past their scheduled release dates, sometimes for many months. It was a continuing problem not only in Hawaiʻi but throughout the country.
Voters Embrace Construction Bond Measure
Voters supported two amendments to the state constitution pertaining to judges and special bonds. Voters appeared to overwhelmingly favor two proposed constitutional amendments including one that would allow counties to issue special bonds to pay for some infrastructure improvements. The other would give the Senate more time to confirm judges once they are nominated by the governor.
'I Have To Be Involved': Natalie Iwasa Has Been Rocking The Boat For 20 Years
The Hawaiʻi Kai resident has advice for other residents who want to tackle community issues. Driving to meet Natalie Iwasa for an interview on a Sunday afternoon at Kāhala Mall, I glanced to my right and there she was. The Bike Mom, pedaling hard up Kalanianaʻole Highway in a bright yellow long-sleeved T-shirt, eyes straight ahead and focused. She didn’t see me waving wildly. She was pumping along steadily, on her own terms. That, I thought, just about says it all.
Should City Boards Allow Non-Citizens And Loosen Quorum Rules?
Two Honolulu charter amendments could bring changes to dozens of city boards and commissions. Two proposals on Honolulu ballots are aimed at making it easier for some city boards and commissions to operate by expanding who can serve on the board and changing the number of members who need to be present to vote on issues.
Ranked Choice Voting Could Shake Up Honolulu Elections
But there’s a catch. The Nov. 3 ballot measure includes a requirement that the Legislature approve this departure from traditional voting. Honolulu voters are being asked to fundamentally change the way top city officials are elected in a major overhaul of the election system envisioned to give more candidates a better chance at public office and more voters the opportunity to decide who’s running the city. Question No. 5 on Oʻahu ballots in the Nov.
Maui Mayor Bissen Is Under Criminal Investigation, Police Chief Says
Maui Police Chief John Pelletier says he believes he was put on leave because of what he says are investigations into corruption in the mayor’s office. Maui Mayor Richard Bissen is the subject of two criminal investigations that have been going on for months, Maui Police Chief John Pelletier said Friday, asserting that the investigations are the reason the chief has been put on paid leave.
Super PACs Tire Of Spending Big On Candidates As Election Nears
Essay Many candidates in Hawaiʻi won their races in the primary or face little opposition in November and just don’t need to raise money anymore. Many candidates in Hawaiʻi won their races in the primary or face little opposition in November and just don’t need to raise money anymore. With one month left before the Nov. 3 general election, candidates and political action committees are continuing to raise and spend tens of thousands of dollars in their election-year efforts to woo voters.
The Sunshine Blog: Already Thinking About The 2028 Elections? This Guy Is
Short takes, outtakes, our takes and other stuff you should know about public information, government accountability and ethical leadership in Hawai‘i. Race to the top: The Sunshine Blog is delighted to see that Oʻahu voters will have something interesting to keep an eye on for the next two years — the race for Honolulu mayor is heating up. Maybe it’s because the former likely frontrunner, Honolulu City Council Chair Tommy Waters, is kind of damaged goods these days.
Slick New Ads Urge You To Vote For Better Roads. Here's Who's Behind Them
The Carpenters Union is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to turn a boring ballot proposition into one that might get voters’ attention. Hawaiʻi’s biggest political powerhouse is throwing its considerable financial weight behind an obscure ballot measure in an all-out effort to persuade voters to approve a new bond-financing program.
Data For Dummies: Hawaiʻi Facts For Those Of Us Who Can't Read Spreadsheets
A local consulting firm has created a very user-friendly dashboard that gives people the high points about life in the islands. Now that another primary election has come and gone, I’ve been wondering: Is Hawaiʻi still the worst in the nation when it comes to voter turnout? Fortunately, the folks who built Hawaiʻi Dashboard, a cool new database of key Hawaiʻi facts, figures and trends, were reading my mind. Yes, unfortunately we are dead last in the U.S. when it comes to voter participation.
PAC Spending In Primary Shows That Money Talks
An analysis of primary election results shows that most of the candidates supported by political action committees won their races outright or will move on to the November general election. Follow the money. That old adage for investigative journalism is still the best advice in Hawaiʻi politics and elections, especially when it comes to special interest groups that funnel their money through political action committees. This year’s primary is no exception.
Civil Beat Loses A Colleague And Friend
Kim Gamel was a veteran journalist, former longtime foreign correspondent and Civil Beat editor since 2020. Kim Gamel died last week. It’s taken me a few days to finally write those words because not only was Kim a top editor here at Civil Beat for the past six years, she was a close friend. I still can’t believe she’s not going to be coming back to the desk next to mine in the newsroom. Kim was 57 years old when she lost a yearslong fight with lymphoma on Wednesday.
Charter Commission Still Undecided On The Mayor Hiring The Police Chief
The Honolulu Charter Commission has vetted hundreds of proposals. There are still a few on the table. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi came pretty close last week to losing one of his major asks: that the city charter be changed to allow the mayor to hire his own police chief.
Sen. Brian Schatz Has 'A Fair Amount Of Hope' In Congress And The Country
Civil Beat met up with the Hawaiʻi senator when he was home in Honolulu last week for a freewheeling discussion on the state of national affairs. Editor’s note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity and with an eye toward using some material in future stories. Hawaiʻi’s senior U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz generally has a lot to say, not much of it good, about the Trump administration and his GOP counterparts.
Sunshine Scorecard: One Big Bill, A Couple Small Things, The Rest Fizzled
Essay Hawaiʻi lawmakers still can’t bring themselves to do anything that changes how they do business or makes it easier for other people to run for office. Hawaiʻi lawmakers still can’t bring themselves to do anything that changes how they do business or makes it easier for other people to run for office. By the time the 2026 legislative session wrapped up on Friday, lawmakers had passed a bold initiative to restrict corporate money in Hawaiʻi elections.
Lawsuit Demands More Information On Hiring Of UH President Wendy Hensel
The public has a right to review the Board of Regents’ discussions when it hired a new president and her special adviser, public interest attorneys say. The University of Hawaiʻi violated the Sunshine Law when it hired new president Wendy Hensel in 2024 and her special adviser a few months later and shut the public out of Board of Regents meetings where the job applicants were interviewed and decisions made to hire them, according to a lawsuit filed this week in state court.
That Dark Cloud Over The Legislature? This Bill Would Make It Even Darker
The University of Hawaiʻi is one of the most important institutions in the state. The public needs to know more, not less, about who’s running it. It’s been more than a decade since Hawaiʻi lawmakers put in place one of the strongest accountability measures in state history — the requirement that top government leaders reveal their financial interests so the public can see what conflicts they have when it comes to doing the state’s business.
The Sun Is Still Shining For Key Reform Bills Halfway Through Session
But a few significant issues failed to generate much interest this year as legislators scurried to meet the crossover deadline. Lawmakers have largely stayed the course they set out in January to improve accountability and transparency in state and local government.
What Happens When The Governor Can't Trust His Lieutenant Governor?
The two may seem like a team but the Legislature is the only authority that can remove an elected official from office in Hawaiʻi. Gov. Josh Green announced Thursday he’s canceling a long-planned trip to Washington, D.C., because “in light of recent events and to ensure steady leadership for our state during this time” he can’t leave. Think about that for a minute. What he’s essentially saying is this thing with Lt. Gov.
Circling The Wagons Around Sen. Michelle Kidani Is Not Serving The Public
Some of the Senate’s most powerful members are protecting their longtime friend. That’s not what the public wants or expects. Perhaps nothing Civil Beat has written in recent memory has more clearly exposed the disconnect between elected officials and the voters they serve than the issue of whether a lawmaker suffering from dementia should step down. Civil Beat reported last week that 77-year-old Sen.
Hot Political Topics Are Stoking Sunshine Bills This Year
Now that the bill-filing deadline has passed, here’s our handy roadmap for following hundreds of government accountability and political reform bills proposed for the 2026 session. At the end of last year’s legislative session, the big reform measures still on the table were cracking down on pay-to-play politics, the public financing of elections and implementing a year-round legislative session. But that was then and this is now.
Power Players: Our Guide To Who To Keep An Eye On In The 2026 Legislature
Civil Beat’s longtime political writers help you understand who’s running the show at the Legislature. Here we go again. The Hawaiʻi State Capitol is bustling with lawmakers, lobbyists, advocates and even the few citizens who can spare the time to visit what’s long been called “The Big Square Building on Beretania” (if they can find a parking space). Civil Beat political writers and editors have been watching legislative sessions and legislators up close for decades.
Not So Public Archives
Honolulu hired Bryan Porcello despite at least eight convictions, and only fired him after his arrest for allegedly bailing a woman out of jail for sex. Heavily blacked-out documents make it difficult to see what was the last straw for the city.
Word Row: Jan. 13
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Word Flower: Jan. 12
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The Sunday Mini: Jan. 11
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Search For Honolulu's Next Police Chief About To Kick Into Gear — Finally
A police headhunter will be on Oʻahu later this month to begin the process of finding candidates for Honolulu’s top cop job. The Honolulu Police Commission is finally moving forward in its search to replace former chief Joe Logan, who announced his retirement in June after about three years in the job. The city’s procurement office inked a deal on Dec. 31 with the California consulting firm Public Sector Search & Consulting Inc. for $121,900.
Will Caron: Poisoning The Well
Cartoon Politics, policy and public affairs as seen through the eyes of our political cartoonist. Politics, policy and public affairs as seen through the eyes of our political cartoonist. Click on image to enlarge. (Will Caron/Civil Beat/2025) Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed. Sorry. That's an invalid e-mail. Thanks! We'll send you a confirmation e-mail shortly. Local reporting when you need it most Support timely, accurate, independent journalism.
The Friday Crossword: Venezuela
It’s time to see how much you know about this country. Or learn some things. Need help? Click on the three-bar menu at top left for instructions on how to play. And you can find previous puzzles and other games here. Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed. Sorry. That's an invalid e-mail. Thanks! We'll send you a confirmation e-mail shortly.
Word Row: Jan. 8
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Will Bailey: After Removal, What Comes Next For Venezuela
Power, restraint and the cost of governing without consent. The capture of Venezuela’s president on Jan. 3 did not arrive as a surprise. It arrived as a conclusion. By the time U.S. forces moved, months of warnings had already been issued, negotiations attempted and discarded, and alternatives quietly weighed and set aside. Whatever one thinks of Nicolás Maduro — and his record of repression, corruption and economic collapse is well documented — this was not a moment of confusion or miscalculation.
Word Flower: Jan. 5
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Will Caron: Minimum Rage
Cartoon Politics, policy and public affairs as seen through the eyes of our political cartoonist. Politics, policy and public affairs as seen through the eyes of our political cartoonist. Click on image to enlarge. (Will Caron/Civil Beat/2025) Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed. Sorry. That's an invalid e-mail. Thanks! We'll send you a confirmation e-mail shortly. Local reporting when you need it most Support timely, accurate, independent journalism.
For Cynthia Thielen, Decades Of Public Service Are 'Just The Right Thing To Do'
The former longtime legislator, attorney and community activist is still deeply involved in her community. A little thing like age has never stopped Cynthia Thielen. Whether she was a young mother in Lanikai trying to make the streets safer so the neighborhood kids could bike to school unharmed or a 92-year-old member of the Hawaiʻi State Ethics Commission drafting a new bill to combat pay-to-play politics, Thielen has been trying to make a difference her whole life.
The Friday Crossword: 2025 News In Review
Test your memory of news events from the last year. Need help? Click on the three-bar menu at top left for instructions on how to play. And you can find previous puzzles and other games here. Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed. Sorry. That's an invalid e-mail. Thanks! We'll send you a confirmation e-mail shortly.
Word Row: Jan. 1
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Word Search: Happy New Year
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Word Row: Dec. 30
A winter word game to help you make it to the end of the year. Need help? Click on the three-bar menu at top left for instructions on how to play. And you can find previous puzzles and other games here.
Word Flower: Dec. 29
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The Sunday Mini: Dec. 28
Getting close to the end of the year, so have a little fun with this one. Need help? Click on the three-bar menu at top left for instructions on how to play. And you can find previous puzzles and other games here.
Will Caron: The Matrix Regulations
Cartoon Politics, policy and public affairs as seen through the eyes of our political cartoonist. Politics, policy and public affairs as seen through the eyes of our political cartoonist. Click on image to enlarge. (Will Caron/Civil Beat/2025) Sign up for our FREE morning newsletter and face each day more informed. Sorry. That's an invalid e-mail. Thanks! We'll send you a confirmation e-mail shortly. Local reporting when you need it most Support timely, accurate, independent journalism.
Will Bailey: Congress Let The ACA Subsidy Cliff Arrive
Column In Hawaiʻi, thousands of residents rely on the Affordable Care Act for health care and will soon see their costs go up substantially. In Hawaiʻi, thousands of residents rely on the Affordable Care Act for health care and will soon see their costs go up substantially. On the morning of Dec. 17, Pennsylvania Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick knew he didn’t have the votes. The Rules Committee had already shut him out. Leadership had blocked his amendments.
The Public Can Have Confidence In The Honolulu Police Commission
New members have bolstered the commission which is committed to picking the best new police chief as efficiently as possible. Editor’s note: Commissioner Chris Magnus is submitting this essay as an individual and is not speaking on behalf of the Honolulu Police Commission. A recent essay in the Ideas section of Sunday’s Civil Beat (“The Honolulu Police Commission Doesn’t Know What HPD Needs”) by Cpl.
Trump's Second Term Is Reshaping US Science
Essay Unprecedented cuts and destabilizing policy changes are causing fundamental shifts in scientific research and outcomes. Unprecedented cuts and destabilizing policy changes are causing fundamental shifts in scientific research and outcomes. Before 2025, science policy rarely made headline news.
The Friday Crossword: New Year's Traditions The World Over
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Medieval Peasants Probably Enjoyed Their Holiday Festivities More Than You Do
Christmas itself was known for feasting and drunkenness – and it lasted nearly six weeks. When people think of the European Middle Ages, it often brings to mind grinding poverty, superstition and darkness. But the reality of the 1,000-year period from 500 to 1500 was much more complex. This is especially true when considering the peasants, who made up about 90% of the population. For all their hard work, peasants had a fair amount of downtime.
Word Row: Dec. 25
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Word Search: Christmas Cheer
Need help? Click on the three-bar menu at top left for instructions on how to play. And you can find previous puzzles and other games here.
Word Row: Dec. 23
This one shouldn’t be too hard. It’s a holiday week after all. Need help? Click on the three-bar menu at top left for instructions on how to play. And you can find previous puzzles and other games here.
Word Flower: Dec. 22
It’s a short week for most of us. This puzzle will help you get there. Need help? Click on the three-bar menu at top left for instructions on how to play. And you can find previous puzzles and other games here.
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