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 2025 legislative session, which runs from Jan. 15 to May 2.
Hawaiʻi's Legislature operates on a biennial (two-year) system. 2025 is the first year of the upcoming biennium. Bills that do not pass in 2025 can be revived in 2026 at the same legislative stage.
On this page, you'll also 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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Department of Public SafetyHawaiʻi lawmakers passed the state budget Wednesday that includes $30 million to hire a developer to build a new jail to replace the deteriorating and overpopulated Oʻahu Community Correctional Center. -
Catherine Cruz/HPRSenate Bill 657 proposed the creation of a climate data hub within the University of Hawaiʻi’s School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology, using $2 million in state funds to support the work of fifteen researchers affiliated with the Coastal Research Collaborative.
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State lawmakers are moving bills that aim to punish and deter the use of illegal fireworks. A pair of fireworks measures passed through conference hearings last week, among the final hurdles for bills going through the state legislative process. -
Senate Bill 1186, which passed the conference committee process this week, seeks to create a “statewide interagency food systems coordination team” that would include leaders along the food supply chain — from farms to restaurants. -
Online sports betting will not be legalized this legislative session. Lawmakers decided to defer the measure Friday afternoon. The bill would have allowed online sports betting and taxed it at a 10% rate. -
More Hawaiʻi families may soon be eligible for free school meals. A bill passed Thursday would allow students who qualify for reduced-priced meals to get them for free starting in July. -
A measure that would ban the purchase of assault rifles is heading to a final vote in the state Legislature. If it passes, Hawaiʻi would become the 11th state to adopt this type of ban.
