Hawaiʻi’s state lawmakers often go on trips between the islands, to the U.S. mainland and internationally in the course of their work.
But some like to jet set more than others.
Using the state’s public records law, Civil Beat asked the Hawaiʻi House and Senate for travel data to see which lawmakers made plans to spend the most time away from their districts, where they planned to visit, the reason for their trips and who would pay for them. State lawmakers are required to ask their leadership for permission to travel, so we asked for data on those requests.
One caveat in our data: If a lawmaker later decided not take a trip and did not notify their leadership, that trip would remain on the books with the House and Senate and would be represented in our data. (Asking for documents on actual trips taken, like plane ticket receipts, over the course of years for dozens of politicians would’ve been prohibitively expensive.)
Our requests covered 2021 through September 2025.
Which Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Plan To Travel Most Often?
Sen. Donna Kim had the highest number of trip requests. Her scheduled trips included a visit to Lisbon, Portugal, for a “Legislators’ Dialogue” in 2025. She used her own legislative allowance and other unspecified funds for that.
But Kim was not necessarily the lawmaker who planned to be gone from the state the longest.
Which Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Seek To Travel The Longest?
Over the course of a nearly five-year span, Sen. Dru Kanuha ranked the highest for requested travel time with 246 days – more than eight months. The longest trip he requested to go on was an 11-day excursion to New York for the annual Conference of State Majority Leaders in 2023.
Where Do Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Travel?
Many lawmakers asked to attend conferences and training opportunities on the U.S. mainland. Rep. Adrian Tam, for instance, requested to travel for more than two weeks at a Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education Program near Boston last year.
Some ventured further afield.
Japan is a popular destination. Several lawmakers planned to visit the country in 2023 for a “Hawaii Business Mission” alongside Hawaiʻi Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism officials, records show. Two lawmakers reported they would use their legislative allowance to cover their travel while two others reported the use of “other” funds, which could include state funds.
Six lawmakers took a trip to Israel last year: Republican Sen. Samantha DeCorte, Democrat Rep. Mark Hashem, and his Republican colleagues Reps. Diamond Garcia, David Alcos, Julie Reyes Oda and Garner Shimizu. The group was part of a 250-member delegation that joined 50 States, One Israel for a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The trip was intended to “highlight Israel’s security, economic and social realities.”
Who Pays For Hawaiʻi Lawmakers’ Travel?
Each lawmaker has a discretionary fund to cover their own trips. But travel may also be covered by state agencies, private groups or a combination. The preferred payment method seems to fluctuate over time. We’d have to file more records requests to get the exact breakdown for specific trips and what exactly “other funds” means in each case.
Search Hawaiʻi Lawmaker Travel Requests
The travel request log provides some insight into what trips a lawmaker thinks are worthwhile. Details on each trip – including flight, hotel and itinerary information – would require additional public records requests for copies of forms and receipts. If there’s a particular trip you think is worth digging into, shoot us a note at tips@civilbeat.org.
“Data Dive” is supported in part by the Will J. Reid Foundation.
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