Bills bite dust at the Capitol as officials ax pot tax, more
Judging from the growing list of dead or dying bills, the 2017 session of the state Legislature is shaping up to be a relatively cautious, low-risk round of lawmaking. Read more
Hawaii Legislature 2017
Coverage of the 2017 Hawaii state legislative session.
Senate committee OKs insurance bill
Hawaii employers may soon be allowed to offer workers what critics say are financially risky health insurance plans that can result in families paying thousands of dollars out of pocket in any given year for medical care. Read more
Bill would tap solar fund for rebates on home batteries
A bill moving through the state Legislature aims to shake loose money frozen in a $150 million failed renewable-energy loan program and use it to offer rebates of up to $10,000 to residents who buy battery systems for their homes. Read more
Final committees must move bills by Friday
Hawaii lawmakers this week will take up clean transportation, disruptive public-records requests and involuntary psychiatric treatment. Read more
Isle bill aims to expand access to birth control
Women in Hawaii may soon be able to obtain birth control pills and other forms of hormonal contraceptives directly from a pharmacist, cutting out the need to make a doctor’s appointment to obtain a prescription and increasing access to birth control for women with limited access to health care providers. Read more
Senate to consider ferry and green fuel
Hawaii lawmakers are exploring green fuel and a potential Oahu ferry route in the upcoming week at the Legislature. Read more
Fear of flak from public dooms bill on pesticides
Leadership in the state House of Representatives killed a bill that would increase regulation over pesticide use in an 11th-hour move that’s attracting strong criticism from environmental activists who backed the measure. Read more
House panel OKs budget plan, offers few details on spending
The House Finance Committee voted to approve a proposed new two-year general treasury budget Wednesday that trims about $500 million from Gov. David Ige’s proposed spending plan, but Chairwoman Sylvia Luke refused to disclose the details of most of the cuts. Read more
Visitors looking for hotel alternatives, study finds
Growth in visitor arrivals has outpaced hotel usage in Hawaii, according to a recent survey commissioned by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, which shows consumer demand for alternative accommodations is growing. Read more
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Medevac price gap spurs bill that would help contain costs
Lawmakers are pushing a bill that would require hospitals, before transferring a patient to another facility via air ambulance, to first call a carrier contracted with the patient’s health insurer in an effort to prevent excessive medevac charges. Read more
House panel OKs pesticide bill
Hawaii lawmakers advanced a measure on Wednesday that would require large agricultural companies to provide extensive public disclosure about their pesticide use and alert facilities serving children and the elderly before spraying chemicals in their vicinity or face potential fines. Read more
House committee OKs Airbnb tax collection bill
A bill to authorize Airbnb to collect state taxes from both legal and illegal vacation rentals when accepting bookings in Hawaii won tentative approval from the House Finance Committee on Tuesday after Gov. David Ige’s staff intervened to ask lawmakers to keep the measure alive. Read more
Bill would require recycling of gray water
Developers who want to construct buildings in Hawaii would have to install systems to reuse gray water under a bill in the Legislature. Read more
Hawaii panel passes bill to get vacation rental data
Hawaii lawmakers may create a group to develop a way to collect data on how vacation rentals affect Hawaii’s tax revenue, housing supply and brand as a visitor destination. Read more
Bills on rail tax and domestic violence on Legislature’s agenda
Hawaii lawmakers are nearing the halfway point of the 2017 legislative session. They’re reviewing bills that need to be passed out of the originating chamber in the next two weeks in order to stay alive. Read more
Self-sustaining agriculture bill moves to Senate
Were global trade to be disrupted, Hawaii would be particularly susceptible to food shortages, as the state imports the vast majority of what it consumes. Read more
Task force and legislators rethink new jail
A 13-member task force led by Hawaii Supreme Court Associate Justice Michael Wilson is recommending that the state hold off on its plans for building a new jail on Oahu until the group can issue a final report at the end of the year that provides a road map for reforming the state’s correctional system. Read more
Measure that would have freed felons is dead
A bill that would have authorized the head of the state Department of Public Safety to release some convicted felons to ease overcrowding in state-run jails appears to be dead for the session. Read more
Bills on energy and health care keep breathing
After a major legislative deadline, the number of bills still alive in the state Legislature has dwindled. Read more
State ban sought on pesticide
Environmental activists are urging Hawaii lawmakers to implement a statewide ban on a widely used insecticide that’s been linked to disruptions in the brain development of babies and young children. Read more
Minimum wage bills move in Senate but stall in House
A key state Senate committee has passed a bill to increase the state minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2019, but three other bills to incrementally raise the state minimum wage have been deferred in the House. Read more
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