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/HPRKāneʻohe state Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole is challenging U.S. Rep. Ed Case for the Hawaiʻi District 1 seat, which covers most of urban Oʻahu. His announcement comes just two days after Case announced his reelection campaign. -
Mengshin Lin/APState lawmakers are looking at ways to better define how the National Guard can be mobilized in Hawaiʻi. This comes after President Donald Trump activated the National Guard in California in June without the governor's consent, due to protests against immigration enforcement.
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The U.S. Army's top civilian leader says he wants to move more quickly on an agreement that will allow the military to continue using Hawaiʻi's only large-scale live-fire training range for ground forces. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll says he discussed the issue with Gov. Josh Green on Monday. -
Senate Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads is kicking off a series of information briefings at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol about the rule of law during this Trump administration. -
Act 133 directs the state House of Representatives to work with a group of state and county officials to investigate and recommend action that the Legislature can take to address permitting delays. -
Gov. Josh Green gives us an update on the effort to reconstitute the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority board and discusses low vaccination rates among students returning to the classroom in a few weeks. -
Gov. Josh Green appointed him to the position on Wednesday. Saiki started at the insurance division of the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs last year after losing his House seat to current Rep. Kim Coco Iwamoto.
