State Legislature

House lawmakers passed a resolution Monday to convene a working group to evaluate legalized gambling. Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm thinks it’s a bad idea. HPR's Ashley Mizuo has more.

Hawaiʻi's constitution sets strict limits on the development of nuclear power anywhere in the state. But lawmakers want an investigation into whether nuclear power has a role to play in the state's energy future. HPR's Savannah Harriman-Pote reports.

Environmental groups are urging lawmakers to pass a measure that would increase taxes on tourists and fund climate initiatives. Two bills still alive this legislative session, SB1396 and HB504, consider raising the 10.25% transient accommodations tax by 1 percentage point.

As a state arts agency faces possible cuts to its federal funding, a powerful House lawmaker is again threatening arts funding. HPR's Cassie Ordonio has more.

Lawmakers have passed a controversial measure to regulate midwifery in Hawaiʻi. It would change the law passed in 2019 that set narrow and strict standards for midwifery licensure and effectively barred traditional Native Hawaiian midwives from practicing.

A pair of measures, namely Senate Bills 763 and 1249, would strengthen penalties, create a dedicated group of state officers, and establish a special fund all to better prevent and punish agricultural crimes like theft and vandalism.

State lawmakers want to develop a framework for a paid family leave program. The House Labor Committee advanced a resolution to create a working group to produce a report on paid family leave that could include proposed legislation.

A handful of resolutions going through the state Legislature would urge Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation to help “address the lack of parity between Hawaiʻi and other states and territories pertaining to the export of agricultural goods.”

State lawmakers are blocking off three dates in the coming months for a special legislative session to address federal funding cuts. The Legislature has about three weeks left in its regular session. But the magnitude of federal cuts and what it means for the state’s budget are still unknown. HPR's Ashley Mizuo reports.

State lawmakers are advancing a measure that would not allow county councils to impose conditions or median income restrictions stricter than the ones established by the state — if those conditions will increase the cost of the project. The measure would also not allow counties to reduce fee waivers for these projects.