Civil Beat Categories

Legislature 2017

Will This Be The Year For Tax Breaks For The Poor? Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Will This Be The Year For Tax Breaks For The Poor?

Bills that have sailed through the Legislature so far would boost taxes on the wealthy to pay for tax breaks for low-income families.

House Committee Kills ‘Aid In Dying’ Measure Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

House Committee Kills ‘Aid In Dying’ Measure

After several failures in previous years, another bill to establish medical aid is effectively dead.

House Restores Honolulu Rail Tax — For Now Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

House Restores Honolulu Rail Tax — For Now

But Senate Bill 1183 faces a high hurdle in making it past the House Finance Committee.

Hawaii Republican Quits Party After Criticizing Trump Anthony Quintano/Civil Beat

Hawaii Republican Quits Party After Criticizing Trump

State Rep. Beth Fukumoto will seek to join Democrats because she says she no longer has much in common with the GOP.

Illegal Care Homes Are A Growing Problem In Hawaii Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Illegal Care Homes Are A Growing Problem In Hawaii

The operators of residential care facilities want lawmakers to crack down on what’s being called a growing consumer protection issue.

Lawmaker Blows Smoke At Teen Lobbyists Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Lawmaker Blows Smoke At Teen Lobbyists

Supporters, including many teens, are upset that a key lawmaker won’t even meet with them to talk about the legislation.

Low-Income Tenants Ask State To Keep Their Housing Affordable Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Low-Income Tenants Ask State To Keep Their Housing Affordable

The case of a Maui apartment complex raises the question: What happens when an affordable housing requirement expires?

Neal Milner: How Hawaii Lawmakers Magically Make Bills Disappear Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Neal Milner: How Hawaii Lawmakers Magically Make Bills Disappear

When it comes down to crunch time, the Legislature works in more darkness than a coal miner with a busted headlamp.

Hawaii House Sends ‘Prudent’ State Budget To Senate Cory Lum/Civil Beat

Hawaii House Sends ‘Prudent’ State Budget To Senate

A flat revenue stream means lawmakers had to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from the governor’s initial proposal.