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The bill aims to end secret, mandatory arbitration proceedings for claims brought by employees against their employers.

The budget is expected to be approved a month earlier than normal, but thorny funding decisions like Big Island disaster relief and pre-K expansion remain undecided.

Gov. Ige has proposed spending $7.7 million to overhaul the state DD program, which includes offering clients more opportunities for jobs and setting goals for themselves.

UPDATED 3/14/19: But the Hawaii Commission on Salaries proposed far lower increases for judges.

Dozens of bills introduced by the state House and Senate augur well for major improvements if lawmakers can actually seal the deals.

Inmates won’t get to vote, many Hawaii prisoners won’t be coming home from Arizona and citizens still won’t be able to put measures on the ballot.

The Senate Ways and Means Committee altered the contents of several bills with little public notice, including one that would raise taxes and another that affects Big Island disaster relief.

Similar legislation has failed session after session. But this is a fundamental matter of public trust.

UPDATED: The Legislature should not abandon bills to decriminalize or legalize recreational cannabis. And they certainly should not be stopped at the committee level.

That’s right. It’s not a crime to have sex with animals. Legislation aims to right that wrong.