#troy hashimoto

“It can take years – even decades – for some people to save the money it takes to make a down payment on a home,” said Lee Wang, Executive Director of Housing Hawai‘i’s Future. “This bill gives young people hope. It gives them a better chance to stay here, to raise a family here.”

Maui Health also got funding in the budget as the legislative session closed last week, but lawmakers think it won’t be enough for repairs to the storm-damaged Kula Hospital.

The recent drenching rains took a respite Saturday evening as 260 attendees gathered at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center to honor state Sen. Troy Hashimoto at Maui Economic Opportunity’s 7th Annual Gala, the nonprofit’s largest fundraiser of the year.

This week Thursday marks the launch of a new statewide Pre-Eviction Mediation Filing Program. The two-year pilot requires landlords to participate in mediation before filing residential eviction cases involving non-payment of rent.

A state Senate committee has advanced a bill that uses the “Vienna Model” of housing in Austria, where limited-profit housing associations create a sustainable cycle of money available for future development.

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 […]

A lagging economy will mean a tighter budget and tougher choices for lawmakers as the Legislature opens today.

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means released its budget informational briefings schedule for the upcoming 2026 legislative session to ensure responsible spending of public funds on resident priorities. The briefings, which are held before the session begins on Jan. 21, are designed to provide both legislators and the public with a clear understanding of […]

Maui Economic Opportunity’s 2026 Gala, which honors state Sen. Troy Hashimoto, is sold out.

Maui County’s three-member delegation to the Hawaiʻi State Senate says its assigned leadership and committee roles position them to advocate effectively for wildfire recovery and resources during what is expected to be a financially difficult legislative session.

Maui Sens. Lynn DeCoite, Troy Hashimoto and Angus McKelvey have secured various leadership positions.

Tears, laughter and the soaring voices of 31 grandchildren filled the Castle Theater on Wednesday morning to celebrate a life of love, service and faith as Maui bid farewell to Maui County Council Member Natalie “Tasha” Kama.

Seven-year Maui County Council Member Natalie “Tasha” Kama, who died Sunday night at Maui Memorial Medical Center, has asked fellow council members to appoint Kauanoe Batangan to serve out the remainder of her term. “In her final request to the Maui County Council, she humbly asked that Kauanoe Batangan, an experienced and distinguished public servant, […]

The Department of Hawaiian Home Lands achieved a significant milestone Saturday by awarding its first agricultural project leases for two subdivisions on the island of Maui. In total, 105 leases were granted: 55 leases for the Waiehu Mauka subdivision and 50 leases for the Honokōwai subdivision.

The Hawaiʻi State Senate is urging PGA officials to find a home for The Sentry in Hawaiʻi after last week’s announcement that the tournament would not hold the event at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in 2026. The decision comes after 27 years on Maui and was attributed to “ongoing drought conditions, water conservation requirements, agronomic conditions and logistical challenges.”

The Senate Committee on Ways and Means finalized visits with government agencies and community leaders on Lānaʻi and Maui to receive significant updates on education, housing, agricultural innovations, healthcare, workforce development pathways and wildfire management efforts.

Members were walked through the DOFAW’s Kahului Baseyard, where DLNR is leading current fire management efforts.

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.

A bill aimed at boosting local homeownership and affordable rentals through state-funded county acquisitions of voluntary deed restrictions has stalled in the Senate Housing Committee and will not advance this legislative session, which ends Friday. However, during its regular meeting Friday, the Maui County Council will consider its own legislation to use voluntary deed restrictions […]

State lawmakers have passed out of conference committee Senate Bill 119, which would appropriate funding to establish a bachelor of science in nursing degree program at the University of Hawaiʻi Maui College. According to a conference committee report, the measure would appropriate $250,000 in fiscal 2026 and $350,000 in fiscal 2027 for the program aimed […]