#Senate Ways and Means Committee
Mayor Bissen: Maui’s wildfire recovery shifts gears to housing delivery and infrastructure investment
Mayor Richard Bissen told state lawmakers Monday that his administration has shifted its focus from immediate wildfire recovery to housing delivery and large-scale infrastructure investments, forecasting the construction of approximately 3,000 affordable and workforce homes by 2030.
Mayor Bissen to make annual appearance with Hawai‘i mayors before state lawmakers
Mayor Richard Bissen will join the state’s other three mayors in making presentations Monday afternoon before members of the Senate Ways and Means and House Finance committees at the State Capitol. Aside from Bissen, the other mayors scheduled to appear are Honolulu City and County Mayor Rick Blangiardi, Hawai‘i County Mayor Kimo Alameda and Kaua‘i […]
Senate Ways and Means Committee visits Lānaʻi for updates on local sustainability
The Senate Ways and Means Committee arrived on Lānaʻi to receive updates on economic development and sustainability efforts from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism and the Agribusiness Development Corporation.
UH research highlights traditional speakers of ʻŌlelo Niʻihau dialect
On the leeward side of Kaua’i, Ke Kula Niʻihau O Kekaha — a pre-K-12 charter school — is celebrating its 25th anniversary and a major milestone in preserving ʻŌlelo Niʻihau, the Niʻihau dialect. The school announced it has authored and published more than 400 books in the language, with a selection now on display at the Līhuʻe Public Library.
$800 million Maui wildfire settlement closes in on final approval at Legislature
House and Senate conference committees are recommending final passage of House Bill 1001, which provides more than $800 million in fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for deposit into the Maui wildfires settlement fund for a “timely and compassionate resolution” for fire survivors. The bill commits the state to spending $400 million in fiscal 2026 and […]
Wildfire safety legislation moves ahead in the Senate
The Senate Judiciary and Ways and Means committees have recommended passage of a House bill that would put into state law fire safety recommendations arising from a Hawaiʻi Attorney General investigation of the August 2023 Maui wildfire disaster. The bill has passed second reading and moves on to third reading in the Senate. House Bill […]
Bill to require nonresident user fees at state parks and trails clears key Senate panel
The Senate Ways and Means Committee unanimously recommended passage Tuesday of a bill to set user fees only for nonresidents visiting state parks and trails.
Fireworks task force bill passes out of committee; now headed for final reading
The Hawaiʻi Senate Ways and Means Committee passed Senate Bill 222, which would fund an illegal fireworks task force. Although the amount of funding is not specified, the measure is now headed for third reading on the Senate floor before crossing over to the House of Representatives.
Proposed UH Maui College four-year nursing program moves ahead in state Senate
A measure aimed at addressing a shortage of nurses on Maui by establishing a four-year nursing Bachelor of Science degree program at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College has passed second reading on the Senate floor. Now, it’s headed to the influential Ways and Means Committee for decision-making on funding.
Bills introduced to establish Maui Wildfires Settlement Trust Fund
Companion bills in the state House and Senate have been submitted to establish the Maui Wildfires Settlement Trust Fund to pay claims from about 2,200 plaintiffs who’ve filed claims from injuries suffered in the August 2023 disaster.
No high levels of bacteria found off of West Maui in five months following Lahaina wildfire
Ocean water quality samples taken from seven sites off the Lahaina burn zone showed no high bacteria levels five months after the Aug. 8 wildfires, according to the 2023 Blue Water Task Force water quality report released by the Surfrider Foundation Hawaiʻi.
Senate WAM advances bills on ag, environment, workforce development, education and housing
The Hawaiʻi State Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Friday advanced several bills aimed at addressing key priorities for the Senate. These bills cover areas of supporting the local agriculture industry, protecting the environment against invasive species, building the workforce for the future through public education, and addressing the affordable housing shortage.
Senate Ways and Means Committee to tour Maui and Molokaʻi facilities
The Senate Ways and Means Committee will visit Maui on Wednesday into Thursday, July 26-27, and Molokaʻi on Thursday and Friday, July 27-28, 2023.
Senate Ways and Means Committee Visits Maui
The schedule includes stops today at Kahului Airport, Easter Seals Maui, the J Walter Cameron Center, MEO, the Maui Memorial Medical Center, and Māʻalaea Small Boat Harbor.
COUNTY MAYORS PRESENT PRIORITIES FOR 2009 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
Maui Mayor Tavares Announces Priorities Maui Mayor Charmaine Tavares announced her priorities for the 2009 legislative session during (a hearing before the House Finance and Senate Ways and Means Committees) a joint conference at the state capitol on Tuesday. In addressing lawmakers, Tavares said she would not be making any direct requests for funding given […]