HPR's coverage of the 2024 Hawaiʻi legislative session
Hawaiʻi Public Radio is tracking the latest news inside the Hawaiʻi State Capitol as bills progress through the 2024 legislative session, which runs from Jan. 17 to May 3.
In the wake of the August 2023 wildfires on Maui, lawmakers said they would focus on funding and supporting recovery efforts. At least 100 people died in the Lahaina fire, and thousands more lost their homes.
Hawaiʻi's Legislature operates on a biennial (two-year) system. 2024 is the second year of the current biennium. Bills that did not pass in 2023 can be revived at the same legislative stage they reached last year.
On this page, you'll also find interviews from HPR's The Conversation with state lawmakers, appointed officials, and elected leaders such as Gov. Josh Green.
Want more legislative coverage straight to your email? Subscribe to our legislative newsletter, On The Lege, using the form below or by clicking here.
Have a legislative tip or story idea for Hawaiʻi Public Radio? Contact us at news@hawaiipublicradio.org.
-
A bill to provide universal free school meals in Hawaiʻi is once again in jeopardy at the state Legislature. The Senate Committee on Education needs to schedule a hearing for House Bill 1775 by Monday for it to move on this session.
-
The state has a new plan to move displaced Maui residents sheltering in hotels into more permanent housing. HPR's Ashley Mizuo explains how the state plans to reach its goal of having families out of temporary housing by May.
-
A bill that would allow the state Commission on Water Resource Management to hire its own legal counsel is receiving pushback from the state’s largest law firm: the attorney general’s office. HPR's Kuʻuwehi Hiraishi explains.
-
Voters may be asked if judges can remain on the bench for a few years longer. Judges are required to retire at 70 years old. But lawmakers are considering putting it to voters to increase the retirement age to 75 years old.
-
A new report by the Hawai‘i Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice argues that the state would be better off without jaywalking laws.
-
There is a push this legislative session to improve the criminal record expungement process. HPR's Ashley Mizuo explains the details of two proposals facing lawmakers.
-
Eighteen local organizations are gearing up to convene at the state Capitol on Tuesday for the first-ever legislative Environment Day.