Hawaiʻi Legislature

Legislators To Name 1st Female House Speaker In Hawaii History Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Legislators To Name 1st Female House Speaker In Hawaii History

Nadine Nakamura is expected to be selected as part of a leadership reorganization Thursday. Lawmakers must vote to make it official when the next session begins.

Hawaii Legislature Rarely Uses Its Own Process To Investigate Lawmakers Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaii Legislature Rarely Uses Its Own Process To Investigate Lawmakers

The dormant House Select Standards of Conduct Committee raises questions about whether self-policing really works or if an independent agency is needed.

Hawaii Lawmaker To Pay $12,500 To Settle Ethics Commission Complaint Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Hawaii Lawmaker To Pay $12,500 To Settle Ethics Commission Complaint

Rep. David Alcos was accused of failing to disclose millions of dollars in debts to various creditors including the IRS and the state Tax Department.

Deadly Devastation From The Lahaina Fire Was ‘Years In The Making’ Ku'u Kauanoe/Civil Beat/2023

Deadly Devastation From The Lahaina Fire Was ‘Years In The Making’

The latest state report examines the reasons behind Lahaina’s destruction and the fire that fueled it.

Governor: Hawaii Can Pay The Bills For Maui Fire Recovery, Hazard Pay And More Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

Governor: Hawaii Can Pay The Bills For Maui Fire Recovery, Hazard Pay And More

The administration has not yet released a budget plan for covering those costs, but the governor says it can be done without tapping into the rainy day fund.

Departure of House Speaker Scott Saiki Will Test Lawmakers’ Appetite For Reform David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Departure of House Speaker Scott Saiki Will Test Lawmakers’ Appetite For Reform

Kim Coco Iwamoto has an ambitious plan to try to reorganize the House, but her future colleagues are moving ahead with plans of their own.

State Rep. Mark Nakashima Dead At 61 Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

State Rep. Mark Nakashima Dead At 61

Hawaii’s governor has ordered flags lowered to honor the House Democrat.

Gov. Josh Green Gives Final Approval To Income Tax Break He Hopes Will Make Hawaii Affordable David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

Gov. Josh Green Gives Final Approval To Income Tax Break He Hopes Will Make Hawaii Affordable

But others worry the tax cut, which will cost the state billions of dollars, will mean deep cuts to needed state programs.

A Working Group That Emerged From A Tragedy Sets Out To Reform Child Welfare Services David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

A Working Group That Emerged From A Tragedy Sets Out To Reform Child Welfare Services

After the disappearance of Isabella Kalua, lawmakers formed the Malama Ohana Working Group to design and propose ‘transformative changes’ to the state system.

Conflict Of Interest? Some Hawaii Lawmakers Work For Or Even Own Companies That Get State Contracts Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Conflict Of Interest? Some Hawaii Lawmakers Work For Or Even Own Companies That Get State Contracts

Businesses they’re tied to have won contracts in construction, consulting and trash collection.