Big Island Now news briefs for April 27: Gas price limit, hazmat transport, ballot order, Dress for Success

Hawaiʻi households say $6.10 gas is breaking point

Hawai‘i residents are closer than most throughout the nation to hitting their limit when it comes to the 3,002 drivers recently surveyed by Advance America about what price per gallon of gasoline would they be forced to start cutting back on essentials.

Drivers say they would start cutting back on essentials at $6.10 per gallon. With prices at $5.60 per gallon April 7, the day of the poll, they were just 50 cents away.

More than 4 in 10, or 41, say they would cut back on eating out or takeout first, followed by travel and leisure at 29%. Notably, 13% would reduce grocery spending, while 3% would cut back on health care or medications — a sign that increasing fuel costs can push households into uncomfortable territory.

Alaska had the lowest threshold, being $1.40 away from the tipping point residents put at $6.02 per gallon. The average price per gallon April 7 was $4.62.

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Hawaiʻi has lowest hazmat transport incident rate in U.S.

A new study revealed Hawai’i has the lowest hazardous materials — or hazmat — transport incidents per capita among all 50 states.

Hawai’i between April 1, 2021, and April 1, 2026, had just 5.8 hazmat transit incidents per 100,000 residents, with a total of 84. Damages amounted to $197,300. The most common materials involved in incidents were miscellaneous hazardous materials, and only 2 hazmat transit incidents caused death or hospitalization.

Texas with 11,748 incidents and California with 11,462 reported the highest totals, followed by Illinois with 8,764, Ohio with 7,991 and Florida with 7,292. When adjusted for population, Alaska reports 127.7 incidents per 100,000 residents, the highest rate in the country, followed by states such as Kansas at 96.6, Connecticut with 78.2 and Tennessee at 77.8.

In comparison, the entire United States saw 38.3 hazmat transit incidents per 100,000 residents, with a total of 129,173 during the same April to April 2021-26 time period. Damages totaled a little more than $1.183 billion. The most common materials involved in incidents were corrosive substances, and there were 1,239 deaths or hospitalizations throughout the nation caused by hazmat transit incidents.

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2026 political party ballot order drawing slated April 28

Hawai‘i Office of Elections will conduct the 2026 political party ballot order drawing at 9 a.m. Tuesday, April 28.

The drawing will determine the order in which political parties are listed on the upcoming primary election ballot.

It also will be publicly accessible via livestream on the Office of Elections YouTube page.

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Dress for Success program supports women entering workforce

Hawaiʻi Legislature members recently continued an annual tradition at the state Capitol in Honolulu, presenting donations to YWCA Oʻahu Dress for Success program.

A new record amount of more than 100 bags of donations was collected through a clothing drive in which state legislators, staff and community members contribute new or gently used professional attire — including blazers, dresses, shoes, handbags, accessories and new undergarments — to the program that for the past 20 years supported women entering or re-entering the workforce.

Big Island Sen. Joy San Buenaventura, whose office co-organizes the clothing drive with the office of O‘ahu Rep. Gregg Takayama, said they were thrilled with the record number of donations this year.

“Now more than ever, with rising prices, these new or gently used clothes will be able to clothe women in need of second chances,” said San Buenaventura in the release.