Civil Beat Staff

Chad Blair

Hot Political Topics Are Stoking Sunshine Bills This Year Kalany Omengkar/Civil Beat/2023

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.

Hawaiʻi Governor Pledges To Build On Tax Cuts, Homelessness, Cost Of Living

Hawaiʻi Governor Pledges To Build On Tax Cuts, Homelessness, Cost Of Living

Gov. Josh Green talked up the wins so far in his first term during his State of the State address.

House GOP Caucus Wants Voters To Pick Chief Election Officer Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2026

House GOP Caucus Wants Voters To Pick Chief Election Officer

Election integrity is a key initiative in the minority party’s legislative package for the 2026 session.

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Start New Session Under ‘Dark Cloud’ Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Start New Session Under ‘Dark Cloud’

The investigation into a possible $35,000 bribe to a legislator can’t be ignored even as lawmakers promise more work on perennial state issues such as affordable housing.

Power Players: Our Guide To Who To Keep An Eye On In The 2026 Legislature Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015

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.

State Lawmakers Want To Protect Hawaiʻi Kids From AI Chatbots Chad Blair/Civil Beat/2026

State Lawmakers Want To Protect Hawaiʻi Kids From AI Chatbots

Proposed legislation comes in response to threats by Trump and local kids exposed to harmful content and manipulation.

Domestic Abuse Allegations Prompt Democrats To Scuttle Legislative Nominee Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi

Domestic Abuse Allegations Prompt Democrats To Scuttle Legislative Nominee

The party has pulled back its nomination of Inam Rahman of Waipahu as one of three choices to fill a legislative vacancy.

Hawaiʻi Governor’s Proposed State Budget Anticipates More Federal Cuts David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Hawaiʻi Governor’s Proposed State Budget Anticipates More Federal Cuts

Facing reductions caused by President Trump’s policies, the state’s budget will prioritize essential services such as health care and food security.

Is Hawaiʻi Doing Enough To Rein In Artificial Intelligence? Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0

Is Hawaiʻi Doing Enough To Rein In Artificial Intelligence?

States are leading the way to regulate AI, but a national report finds the Aloha State comes up short.