The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai‘i has set its legislative agenda for the upcoming session, focusing on immigrant rights, criminal justice reform, and the protection of gender equity and LGBTQ+ rights. During a press conference on Monday, Tina Sablan from the Legal Clinic said, "every Hawai‘i resident should feel safe reporting serious crimes, no matter what their legal immigration status might be or where they might live in the state," as reported by Big Island Now.
ACLU-HI also plans to tackle jail overcrowding and support alternatives to cash bail, aiming to better allocate taxpayer funds. Mandy Fernandes, the ACLU-HI Policy Director, stated, "For $1 billion, we could fund so many necessary services and benefits in our communities, such as universal pre-K.”
The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii is working to expand protections under Act 2, SLH 2023 to include more gender-affirming health care services. “These medical decisions should be left to individuals and their doctors, not from the government, outside states, or the courts,” said Donavan Kamakani Albano, an ACLU-HI Policy Fellow. Executive Director Salmah Y. Rizvi said, "We have the power to ensure that Hawaii remains the beautiful, diverse and open society we all enjoy," and noted the organization will monitor federal immigration actions in the state. The American Civil Liberties Union encourages the public to follow the 2026 legislative session, which opens on January 21, as per KHON2.
