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.

Senators advanced two bills this week that would limit corporations from spending to influence Hawaii elections and clarify the powers granted to artificial entities. Lawmakers say the measures protect voters' voices.

The Honolulu City Council advanced a resolution urging state approval of the GEMT Medicaid program to reduce ambulance co‑pays for low‑income residents.

Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez led 40 state attorneys general in a letter urging Congress to back the Senate Kids Online Safety Act and to reject House language that could preempt state protections.

Sen. Brian Schatz filed the FAIR Act proposing a 4.1% federal pay increase in 2027 to help close a roughly 27% pay gap with private-sector jobs.

A DHRD report found hundreds of state jobs vacant for years and lawmakers have filed bills to abolish chronically empty posts. Advocates say the moves could free up millions, but agencies warn of service risks.

National backlash over immigration enforcement has pushed Maui County to reconsider an FBI joint‑task‑force agreement that would deputize local officers. Council members, the police chief and immigrant advocates are locked in a debate over civil liberties and local control.

Senate Judiciary advanced SB2055, a bill that would require the Hawai‘i Civil Rights Commission to run a 24‑hour, toll‑free helpline for civil‑rights and hate‑crime reports. The measure now heads to Ways and Means for funding and implementation details.

Hawaiʻi’s county mayors paused a plan to ask lawmakers this year for a 20‑year extension of the half‑percent GET surcharge, saying they need more financial analysis first.