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If enough petition signatures can be gathered, the public has direct access to the ballot in many states. In the islands, initiative backers face long odds.

House committee defers action indefinitely on bill that would have created buffer zones around five schools.

UPDATED: The governor has chosen Kaiali’i Kahele to represent the Big Island district.

The nearly two dozen bills introduced by Rep. Isaac Choy may be indicative of a larger sense of frustration with the university.

Under a Senate bill, the new approach would be phased in starting with Kauai. It would go statewide by 2022.

Senate committee defers bill to make LG an appointed position.

Hawaii health officials say they “strongly supported” a bill that would let them stop following a law they’ve struggled to comply with, but senators killed the measure.

Under a proposed bill, more than 200 people convicted of misdemeanors could be released from custody to help relieve jail overcrowding.

The Legislature was tough on government reform bills last session. This time, proposals such as all-mail balloting and tougher campaign laws may get traction.

The company is fighting lawmakers’ efforts to make it a legal standard for mergers, replacing one that requires no net harm.