#Sharon Moriwaki

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 […]

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Monday passed House Bill 300 Senate Draft 1, which outlines the Executive Branch state budget for the upcoming fiscal years.

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.

Two Senate committees voted Thursday to recommend passage of a bill to legalize adult personal use of cannabis Hawaiʻi and establish taxes on its retail sale and medical use.

A bill to exempt state-financed housing developments from county council approval has passed second reading on the Hawaiʻi Senate floor and advanced to the Ways and Means Committee.

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.

The Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s Kūpuna Caucus convened by state Sen. Sharon Moriwaki and Rep. Cory M. Chun shared their 2025 legislative package, a set of bills focused on enhancing the quality of life for seniors across the state.  

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.

The Hawaiʻi Senate Committee on Public Safety & Military Affairs has recommended passage of Senate Bill 222, which would appropriate an as yet undetermined amount of state funding for an illegal fireworks task force.

Dissatisfied by state Department of Land and Natural Resources’ management of small boating facilities, West and South Maui Sen. Angus McKelvey has drafted a bill to transfer maintenance and operations of Māla wharf in Lahaina and the Kīhei boat ramp to Maui County. Under the bill, the County could set permit fees to generate revenue for the facilities’ upkeep.

The Hawaiʻi Senate Committee on Health and Human Services deferred action today on a bill to improve health insurance coverage for women with an above-average risk for breast cancer. The committee rescheduled its hearing to 1 p.m. Jan. 29.

With a bill introduction deadline looming on Thursday, state lawmakers already have nearly 150 measures to consider as ways to address Hawaii’s dire housing shortage, a problem even more acute on Maui after the August 2023 wildfires destroyed thousands of homes.

Maui senators secured several key assignments. Senator Lynn DeCoite was named Majority Assistant Floor Leader, and Chair of the Energy, Economic Development and Tourism committee; Senator Gil Keith-Agaran was named Majority Assistant Whip, and Vice-Chair of the powerful Ways and Means Committee; and Senator Angus McKelvey secured the chairmanship of the Government Operations Committee. 

The State Legislature’s Kūpuna Caucus secured more than $30 million in funding for programs, centers and resources aimed at caring for and protecting seniors across Hawaiʻi. The related bills go to the Governor for final approval.

The Senate Government Operations Committee introduced a short form bill (SB 2930 SD1) that aims to establish two new divisions within the Department of the Attorney General to address fraud, white collar crime, political corruption and sex and human trafficking. The measure would appropriate $834,000 for the operations of the Special Investigation and Prosecution unit and $754,000 to operate the Sex and Human Trafficking unit.