Digital Democracy

Divers Are Dying Near The Surface. Now There’s A Call For Safety Warnings Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Divers Are Dying Near The Surface. Now There’s A Call For Safety Warnings

Freediving is one of the leading causes of fatal drownings for Hawaiʻi residents. Now lawmakers and safety advocates want labels on equipment — and more.

String Of ‘Devastating’ Suicides In Hawaiʻi Prisons Continues Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2019

String Of ‘Devastating’ Suicides In Hawaiʻi Prisons Continues

Corrections officials are asking for millions of dollars this year to hire dozens of health care workers to improve mental health services inside.

Bill Would Turn Kids Into Published Authors At Kalihi Schools Hawaii DOE/2020

Bill Would Turn Kids Into Published Authors At Kalihi Schools

Lawmakers are pushing for the education department to create more hands-on and project-based learning opportunities for students.

Special Interests Are Fueling Gov. Josh Green’s Anti-RFK Jr. Super PAC David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Special Interests Are Fueling Gov. Josh Green’s Anti-RFK Jr. Super PAC

New filings with the Federal Election Commission include major donations from real estate investors, gambling interests and Turo, the car share company.

Hawaiian Royalty Burial Grounds: Lawmakers Punt On Oversight Woes Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Hawaiian Royalty Burial Grounds: Lawmakers Punt On Oversight Woes

Lawmakers are hesitant to move quickly on the sensitive issue and want a task force to come back in two years with a proposal for how to oversee Mauna ‘Ala.

DOE Travel: $4 Million, 8,000 Trips And Few Details On Educational Value Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

DOE Travel: $4 Million, 8,000 Trips And Few Details On Educational Value

The Department of Education’s failure to provide detailed travel records is part of a broader pattern of poor record-keeping for Hawaiʻi schools, lawmakers and government transparency advocates say.

Hawaiʻi Wrongly Jailed Him For 20 Years. Reparations Came Too Late Courtesy: Naomi Aloy

Hawaiʻi Wrongly Jailed Him For 20 Years. Reparations Came Too Late

Alvin Jardine fought for nearly a decade to be paid under the state’s wrongful conviction compensation law. He died before receiving payment.

Higher Luxury Home Taxes? State Eyes New Ways To House Hawaiians Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Higher Luxury Home Taxes? State Eyes New Ways To House Hawaiians

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands will need billions in additional revenue to provide homes for the roughly 30,000 Hawaiians on its waitlist.

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.

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Are Full Of Ideas For Improving Schools. Few Will Pass Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2025

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Are Full Of Ideas For Improving Schools. Few Will Pass

Lawmakers are prioritizing free meals for students and stronger protections for school employees this session, but less than 10% of education bills become law each year.