Rep. Jill Tokuda introduced the Tariff Free Farming Act to strip tariffs from seeds, fertilizer and other farm inputs after hearing from Hawaiʻi growers. The move is backed by farm groups and a multi‑state group of cosponsors.

A proposed Hawaii bill would treat private home listings as an unfair trade practice and expose agents to penalties. The move could reshape how many island homes are marketed.

Lawmakers introduced HB1644 and SB2032 to force a one‑page solar disclosure and require licensed contractors, aiming to curb misleading residential solar sales.

UH has opened a national search to re-establish a separate Mānoa chancellor; co-chairs were named and finalists will visit campus this spring.

A proposed bill would bar sleeping and storing belongings at Honolulu bus stops, allowing warnings, citations and police clearings and drawing pushback from civil‑rights groups.

At an Ewa Beach town hall, lawmakers warned fentanyl deaths remain high despite a small dip and urged families to use naloxone and stay vigilant.

A cluster of state bills moved forward this week to hand HCDA new powers over Hilo’s Banyan Drive, fund planning and give the state tools to buy key parcels. Committees advanced measures while demolition and master‑planning work proceed.

USDA’s Transition to Organic Partnership Program is being shortened, forcing Hawaii growers to accelerate certification work before an accelerated September deadline. Local mentors say the timeline risks slowing new organic supply.

Act 278 makes landlords notify mediation centers when they serve nonpayment notices; tenants get 10 days to request free, state-funded mediation under a two-year pilot.

A state audit found DOBOR can't show whether the 2019 salvage-insurance law saved taxpayers. Records and collection practices are incomplete, the report says.

A bill to scrap complex-area superintendents set off a raucous Capitol hearing, with principals and unions accusing lawmakers of bullying and new ethics guidance complicating the fight.

A Hilo jury sided with Hawaiʻi County and former R&D director Douglass Adams, rejecting discrimination claims tied to the 2022 film commissioner hire.

A proposal to let private interests lease stretches of state beach has raised alarm among Native Hawaiian groups and access advocates.