HPR's coverage of the Hawaiʻi legislative session
Hawaiʻi Public Radio is tracking the latest news inside the Hawaiʻi State Capitol as lawmakers work throughout the 2026 legislative session from Jan. 21 to May 8.
Hawaiʻi's Legislature operates on a biennial (two-year) system. 2025 was the first year of the upcoming biennium. Bills that did not pass in 2025 can be revived this year at the same legislative stage.
Keep checking this page to find interviews from HPR's The Conversation with state lawmakers, appointed officials, and leaders such as Gov. Josh Green, Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Nadine Nakamura.
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Have a legislative tip or story idea for Hawaiʻi Public Radio? Contact us at news@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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Connect KākouLt. Gov. Sylvia Luke spoke with The Conversation's Catherine Cruz about the state's push to boost high-speed internet and pre-school learning. -
Ashley Mizuo/HPRAbout 100 people gathered at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol rotunda, many placing lei and flowers on pictures of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, another American citizen killed earlier this month by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
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A resolution introduced at the Hawaiʻi County Council urges state lawmakers to ban all harvesting of fish for commercial aquariums. -
HPR's Cassie Ordonio reports on the legislative priorities state lawmakers will focus on for the 2026 Legislature. -
Gov. Josh Green delivered his 2026 State of the State address to the Hawaiʻi State Legislature on Monday morning. Here's the full speech, as written before the address. -
On Friday, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem approved Hawaiʻi’s request to extend FEMA temporary housing assistance for Maui wildfire survivors until February 2027. -
Department of Law Enforcement Director Mike Lambert roughly estimated that about $400 million a year is spent at illegal game rooms in Hawaiʻi. -
The state Legislature is back in session, and its focus this year will be on federal funding impacts and addressing the cost of living in Hawaiʻi. Federal actions over the first year of this Trump administration have led to impacts on the state level, and that will likely be the case going forward. -
Hawaiʻi has received nearly $150 million to improve and expand internet connection through its Connect Kākou initiative, which aims to provide access to high-speed internet in all corners of the state. -
The 2026 legislative session is officially in full swing. HPR spent the day hearing from attendees on what they hope this session will bring. Here's a glimpse of what we saw.
