Hawaiʻi State Government

Hawaii Counties Fight To Keep Excise Tax As Lawmakers Advance Other Relief Measures David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Hawaii Counties Fight To Keep Excise Tax As Lawmakers Advance Other Relief Measures

Measures that won preliminary approval in the House Finance Committee would increase standard deductions and adjust tax brackets for inflation.

John Hill: Perplexing Questions That Demand Answers In The Wahiawa Child Abuse Death David Croxford/Civil Beat/2024

John Hill: Perplexing Questions That Demand Answers In The Wahiawa Child Abuse Death

The only way to prevent this horror from being repeated is by publicly dissecting exactly what went wrong.

Green Wants To Make Targeted Changes To Hawaii’s Tax Code. Will The Legislature Go For It? David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Green Wants To Make Targeted Changes To Hawaii’s Tax Code. Will The Legislature Go For It?

It’s tricky to tinker with taxes in an election year. Veteran observers are watching the House for clues about likely outcomes as lawmakers weigh the proposals.

John Hill: Another Horrifying Child Death And Another Set Of Questions For The State Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2024

John Hill: Another Horrifying Child Death And Another Set Of Questions For The State

The details of the state’s involvement in placing and overseeing 10-year-old Geanna Bradley are still hazy. What can we conclude so far?

John Hill: The State Placed A Foster Teen With A Young, Single Man — And Failed To Tell Her Mom Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

John Hill: The State Placed A Foster Teen With A Young, Single Man — And Failed To Tell Her Mom

Sarah Coultas only found out about the placement by chance two and a half months later, despite a state regulation requiring parents to be informed.

State Buildings, UH Campuses May Provide Period Products For Free Gabriela Cervantes/Civil Beat/2024

State Buildings, UH Campuses May Provide Period Products For Free

Supporters say it would be an important step toward gender equity since too many people aren’t able to buy menstrual products.

Thousands of Hawaii School Employees To Get Up To 25% In Pandemic Hazard Pay Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2021

Thousands of Hawaii School Employees To Get Up To 25% In Pandemic Hazard Pay

HGEA estimated that the arbitration decision could cost the state as much as $150 million.

A Big Bill From The Pandemic Is Coming Due: Hazard Pay For State And County Workers Ronen Zilberman/Civil Beat/2021

A Big Bill From The Pandemic Is Coming Due: Hazard Pay For State And County Workers

Expected settlements could put a significant dent into county budgets. The state, meanwhile, has yet to enter into negotiations with unions over the issue.

Lawsuit Alleges Two State Entities Improperly Hired Their Leaders Behind Closed Doors Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2015

Lawsuit Alleges Two State Entities Improperly Hired Their Leaders Behind Closed Doors

The Public First Law Center alleges that the Agribusiness Development Corp. and Defender Council violated Hawaii’s Sunshine Law.

Where Are The Workers? Last Month 27% Of State Government Civil Service Positions Were Vacant Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Where Are The Workers? Last Month 27% Of State Government Civil Service Positions Were Vacant

Traditionally Hawaii residents eagerly applied for safe government jobs but particularly difficult jobs now have vacancy rates of 40%.