UH Mānoa has asked the state for $22.3M — including a $5M NIL fund — to update facilities and retain student‑athletes as bills move through the Legislature.

Lawmakers want a paid "hike safe" card and a state search-and-rescue office to reimburse crews — but Honolulu firefighters warn fees could discourage 911 calls.

Sen. Mazie Hirono joined a group of senators in a letter demanding federal agencies explain and pause enforcement actions aimed at immigrant children, and gave agencies until Feb. 26 to produce records. Lawmakers pointed to rising detention times and new data‑sharing and wellness‑check practices as proof of a troubling shift.

A Senate committee advanced SB3000 to let Hawai‘i’s attorney general and insurers sue fossil‑fuel companies for climate‑related costs, aiming to shore up the state’s fragile insurance market.

Senate Bill 2480 would replace party-based primaries with a top-two system, a change that drew 41 supportive testimonies and nine objections at a Feb. 13 hearing. Lawmakers advanced the measure to the full Senate with amendments.

Federal filings show Heal America PAC raised nearly $488K in 2025, with major donations from a Hawaii resort investor, gambling interests and Turo.

The Hawaii Board of Education approved statewide limits on student phone use, banning devices during school hours for elementary and middle schools and restricting high school phone use during class.

Rep. Jill Tokuda and Rep. Neal Dunn introduced a bipartisan bill to rebuild U.S. rare‑earth magnet production, pair recycling with domestic sourcing and reduce reliance on China.

Senators delayed a plan to shift Mauna ʻAla’s management, forming a working group and setting a two‑year deadline for recommendations. The move follows months of dispute over the curator selection.

The Honolulu Police Commission has hired a national search firm and opened an anonymous community survey to shape the recruitment profile for the next police chief. The survey is open through Feb. 28, 2026.

Lawmakers have proposed a $130B fund to rebuild schools nationwide; Hawaii officials say federal grants and bonds could help chip away at a large repair backlog.

Lawmakers want to extend emergency‑hire permits from three to five years to keep teachers in hard‑to‑staff Hawai‘i classrooms, but research and licensing officials warn of tradeoffs.

Sen. Kurt Fevella introduced SB 3195 to let Medicaid and Medicare Part D cover FDA‑approved GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs, setting off a debate over access and cost.