Nation in brief: Hawaii considering grass huts to help homeless

HONOLULU – Hawaii lawmakers are considering a unique solution to the housing crisis: They want to make it possible for people to live in traditional Hawaiian grass huts.

Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland is introducing a bill in the state Legislature’s upcoming session that would let officials set aside land to build Native Hawaiian thatched homes. She discussed that and other bills designed to alleviate homelessness at a meeting of the Housing and Homeless Task Force on Monday.

Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, a cultural practitioner, approached the senator with the idea. Officials creating housing solutions should take into account the culture of the people they’re trying to help, Wong-Kalu said.

House bill reduces

ex-presidents’ funds

WASHINGTON – Taxpayer dollars for office space and other expenses incurred by ex-presidents who earn lucrative speaking fees would be limited under a bill approved Monday by the House.

The bill is aimed at former presidents such as Bill Clinton and George W. Bush who earn millions of dollars through speeches, book deals or other income. U.S. taxpayers paid a total of $3.5 million in 2014 in pensions and benefits to the four living former presidents.

The House bill would set presidential pensions at $200,000 a year, nearly the same as the current amount, with an additional $200,000 set aside for office space and other expenses. The bill would reduce expense payments by $1 for every dollar above $400,000 earned by a former president.

The bill now goes to the Senate.