HPR's coverage of the Hawaiʻi legislative session
Hawaiʻi Public Radio tracked the latest news inside the Hawaiʻi State Capitol as lawmakers worked throughout the 2025 legislative session 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 did 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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Mark Ladao/HPRRepublican state Sen. Brenton Awa announced his run for Congress, putting him in the race for the second congressional district against incumbent Rep. Jill Tokuda, a Democrat. -
Erin Hooley/APIn response to the federal government shutdown and its effects on SNAP food benefits, the state is setting aside $100 million to help eligible families with housing and utility payments.
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Jeff Mikulina of the Green Fee Advisory Council spoke to The Conversation's Catherine Cruz about accepting public input on how to use millions of dollars in revenue from the new "Green Fee." -
Gov. Josh Green has entered Hawaiʻi into an agreement with JERA, Japan’s largest energy company, to move ahead with a plan to import liquefied natural gas to power Oʻahu’s grid. -
The state has more than $400 million in unspent federal funds for a program to help low-income families. HPR’s Ashley Mizuo reports on why and how it will be spent as Hawaiʻi faces cuts to federal social service programs. -
Instead of having a law in place, the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation only has an agency policy that advocates say is complicated and lengthy. -
The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Oʻahu County Committee is looking for candidates in the Pearl City-Waipahu area to fill the soon-to-be vacant state Senate District 19 seat.
