Austin city limits: Does she or doesn’t she? Tulsi Gabbard says she lives in Hawaiʻi — and voted here. But then she swore she lived in Texas, too, in order to get a property tax break.

At least that’s what CNN reported last week, causing quite a stir over President Trump’s new director of national intelligence and her ethical behavior. And obviously ironic given Trump’s political chest-thumping (and false claims) over widespread voter fraud purportedly by Democrats.

The CNN story raised questions about whether Gabbard’s vote was even legal given that “Hawaiʻi law says that individuals can only have a single residence for election purposes, and defines a voter’s residence as the ‘place in which the person’s habitation is fixed, and to which, whenever the person is absent, the person has the intention to return.'”

Now, local officials who ought to know the answer are dodging the question.

The Hawaiʻi Office of Elections referred The Blog to the Honolulu Elections Division. No one at the Honolulu office responded.

CNN says Gabbard bought a home in Texas and swore it was her primary residence in June. Then in November she voted in Hawaiʻi.

Her attorneys told CNN: “Director Gabbard was, is, and intends to remain a Hawaiʻi resident. That is where she lives, pays taxes, and, of course, votes.”

The lawyers did not, the network reported, “respond to questions about why she separately swore under oath that she was a Texas resident if she considered herself to still live in Hawaiʻi, and did not provide a comment from her after repeated requests.”

Gabbard, a former Hawaiʻi congresswoman, has often been less than forthcoming about her ties to the islands, where her political career began. Public records show that Gabbard had a P.O. Box in Honolulu active from 2012 to early 2024. She also listed a residence in Kailua from 2015 to July 17, 2024.

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Water is life: As expected, Hannah Springer easily garnered approval Friday to serve on the state’s Commission on Water Resource Management. She still needs full approval from the Hawaiʻi Senate, but it appears a done deal, as the confirmation hearing before the Senate Water and Land Committee showed Springer had tons of enthusiastic support.

Springer’s confirmation will come as no small relief to Gov. Josh Green, whose pick for the skilled cultural expert (loea) seat on CWRM, Hinano Rodrigues, withdrew from consideration last month following objections from conservation groups.

Springer is a highly respected cultural practitioner and historian with extensive lineal ties.

“For decades, Aunty Hannah has applied her deep cultural knowledge, grounded in the ‘ike kūpuna of her ancestors and one hānau, to myriad efforts restoring and protecting Native Hawaiian traditional and customary practices, and the natural and cultural resources upon which they rely,” Wayne Tanaka of the Sierra Club wrote in testimony.

Springer’s confirmation hearing was briefly interrupted by a visit from the Easter Bunny and an anthropomorphic chicken. Water and Land Chair Lorraine Inouye appeared slightly miffed, although she did explain that it’s customary at this time of year for the Women’s Legislative Caucus to gather Easter baskets for needy families.

The Blog is told that the rabbit was Rep. Matthias Kusch and the bird Rep. Mike Lee.

In the clear: The legislative session still has three weeks to go but Gov. Josh Green is already signing bills. Last week, he approved a measure that streamlines a Hawaiʻi County pilot project allowing for expungement of pot arrests.

The expungement program was launched last year. Even though the state decriminalized the possession of 3 grams or less of marijuana back in 2019, some people still have prior arrest records for related charges. 

House Bill 132 had the backing of the Hawaiʻi Office of the Public Defender, the Hawaiʻi Correctional System Oversight Commission, ACLU of Hawaiʻi and the Community Alliance on Prisons. It amends a 2024 law by allowing expungement of arrest records for promoting a detrimental drug in the third degree to include the possession of marijuana but also any schedule V substance — narcotics, stimulants, depressants — in any amount.

Marijuana Moment, which tracks and reports on cannabis-related matters, reported last week that as of mid-December, 640 cases had been reviewed and 81 expungements issued under the pilot program, with 112 cases pending and 414 cases still under review. HB 132 removes a technical glitch to the initial pilot program that made expungement “more burdensome than expected.”

Rep. David Tarnas, a Big Island legislator, introduced both bills.

Oh, Canada: That really large country along the northern border of the United States has had a couple of rough months with the Trump administration, even though it has long been a peaceful ally and valued trading partner. The Hawaiʻi Senate is now doing its part to show its support for Canada by passing a resolution acknowledging the “independent sovereignty and self determination” of The Great White North.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 197 does not actually mention by name the 45th or 47th president, but it’s pretty clear who legislators mean when they condemn American posturing “to annex Canada against the will of the people of Canada.” The reso also references the fact that Hawaiʻi and Canada have vibrant Indigenous peoples and cultures and notes that the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was itself annexed by the U.S. in 1898.

Whether the resolution will inspire more Canadian tourists to visit Hawaiʻi is not possible to know. But the 50th state wants to make sure there is no 51st state anytime soon.

Speaking of resos and northern countries, there are also Senate resolutions calling for broader relationships with Sweden and Norway. Both nations, lawmakers suggest, could help Hawaiʻi learn more about renewable energy production, harvesting the sea and managing marine resources.

The are no resolutions to broaden relations with Iceland, Finland and Denmark, by the way. The Danes, of course, own Greenland … for now.

Back pedal: The Hawai‘i Bicycling League set up shop for a day at the Capitol Rotunda earlier this month to advocate for travel on two wheels and enabling legislation. Nearly two dozen bills regarding bikes were proposed this session, which come in part because of the growing use — and abuse — of e-bikes.

Only two bike measures remain alive as session moves close to its May 2 conclusion, however:

House Bill 958 would keep people under 15 years of age off electric bikes, allow e-bike use on some public sidewalks (although not in business districts) and require anyone under 18 to wear a helmet when riding an electric foot scooter.

Senate Bill 1117 does some of the same things as HB 958 and would also prevent mopeds and motorcycles from going most places were bicycles are allowed such as bike paths.

Lawmakers are hoping to encourage more bike use, not only to reduce traffic congestion but also because car ownership and use in Hawaiʻi costs families about $24,400 a year.

Political no no?: Spotted on Saturday on a lifeguard post at White Plains Beach on Oʻahu:

UPDATE: It turns out the lifeguard stand may be operated by the military, not the city. We’re checking.

UPDATE TO THE UPDATE: Indeed it does turn out to be a lifeguard operation run by the Navy so no reason to question the city’s ethics on this one. Given who the Navy’s boss is these days, The Blog doubts he would be upset to have his sign planted on the sand like that. Perhaps it will save them from DOGE cutbacks. In fact, if you’re looking for a summer job the Navy appears to be hiring for this very lifeguard post.