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.
Want more legislative coverage straight to your email? Subscribe to our weekday news newsletter, Akamai Recap, using the form at the bottom of the page or by clicking here.
Have a legislative tip or story idea for Hawaiʻi Public Radio? Contact us at news@hawaiipublicradio.org.
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Jason Ubay/HPRThe crossover deadline means that if a bill was introduced in the House, it needed to pass by Thursday and be sent to the Senate, and vice versa. -
Hawaiʻi State House of Representatives/YouTubeA former University of Hawaiʻi professor claims that the Hawaiʻi State Energy Offices liquefied natural gas report contains serious errors.
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Some Hawaiʻi lawmakers think the state should be doing more to help the producers of lei made with locally grown, fragrant flowers. Ideas include labeling requirements that would identify Hawaiʻi-made lei and a prohibition on state agencies buying imported ones. -
Common Cents Consulting is auditing her campaign spending reports. In this first report, it found “no significant discrepancies,” which it defines as any single donation over $6,000. -
Since 1970, rental car companies have not had to pay the general excise tax when buying cars for their fleets. Instead, those companies pay a wholesale tax rate of 0.5%. -
One bill would get rid of breed and size restrictions in public housing and open existing public housing to pet owners. -
The Senate is attempting to recoup funds by reducing sweeping income tax cuts that went into effect last year and by reevaluating tax credits for things like renewable energy. -
Hawaiʻi keiki could start building their own libraries at home through a new bill that would establish the “Imagination Library." -
Hanabusa was first elected to the Hawaiʻi Senate in 1998 and served in the upper chamber through 2010, including a stint as the first woman Senate president. She went on to win one of Hawaiʻi's two seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. -
A universal school meals program has been proposed at the Legislature before, and itʻs usually met with pushback from state Department of Education officials due to concerns about the logistics and costs.
