State Legislature

State lawmakers are guaranteeing annual raises for public and charter school teachers that can be negotiated into their collective bargaining agreements.

Revenue from the Green Fee tax on tourists was designed to pay for climate projects. Funded projects range from coral reef restoration and wildfire mitigation to a study on sports events.

Hawaiʻi will likely put protections in place for children using AI. The bill that would require AI operators to post visible disclaimers, making it clear that users are not speaking to a person.

Hawaiʻi is set to establish “name, image and likeness” rules to recruit and retain student-athletes at the University of Hawaiʻi.

Devin Thomas, director of tax and budget policy at Hawaiʻi Appleseed, talks about its free online tool to help track the progress of the state budget.

As Hawaiʻi lawmakers wrap up the 2026 legislative session, few measures related to culture and arts have made it through.

Of the nearly 3,000 bills that were introduced at the Legislature, about 270 have made it to the final step of the legislative process. Most of the measures will be voted on a final time by the House and Senate on Wednesday, and the legislative session will end on Friday. That’s a lot to digest. So here at HPR, we’re breaking down what you need to know as the Legislature heads into its final week.

The state's $20.3 billion budget has been finalized. The measure passed out of its last committee late Thursday night. It will next go for a final vote before both the full House and Senate.

In its current form, Senate Bill 2471 is attempting to redefine such “artificial persons” and reduce their ability to spend on elections.

Hawaiʻi Supreme Court Associate Judge Vladimir Devens was confirmed by the Senate to be the state’s next chief justice. Devens will fill the position left by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald, who retired in September because of the 70-year-old age limit on judges in Hawaiʻi.