The office comes with little power and few responsibilities. But it positions politicians for a leap to higher office — and to raise a lot of campaign cash.

Students talk about rail and Ewa Beach issues with three legislators who provided lessons in contrasting styles.

An 18-year veteran of the Hawaii Legislature, the state senator hopes to make the jump to lieutenant governor.

The congresswoman files papers to form a campaign committee. Meanwhile, state senators Will Espero and Josh Green are running for lieutenant government.

Despite ongoing problems in county police agencies, legislators are rejecting more accountability.

Will Espero urges the commission to wait until a federal investigation is finished before making a deal for Chief Louis Kealoha’s departure.

Hawaii lets its for-profit prison contractor set its own rules for what it terms “disciplinary segregation,” instead of solitary confinement.

Gov. Ige signed legislation authorizing county police departments to enroll firearms applicants and individuals registering firearms in a federal service that monitors criminal records.

The state has little data on the effect of shipping prisoners to Arizona, but studies say a lack of family contact makes it harder to go straight.

Lawmakers concede that tougher police accountability measures haven’t been a priority despite numerous high-profile cases of serious misconduct.

Many of the costs the state pays aren’t detailed in budget documents. And the expense is not the only issue.

Even when prisoners are murdered, state officials and their private contractor shield themselves from the public eye.