Hawaii the most unionized state in the nation, Green seeks $100M more in pandemic hazard pay, union rebukes senator over school bureaucracy bill, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hawaii union membership in 2025 led nation at 26%. Hawaii’s union membership declined last year but the state still led the nation with 26% of employed wage and salary workers represented by collective bargaining, according to data released Wednesday from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Star-Advertiser.

Tab For Pandemic Hazard Pay Grows As Gov. Green Seeks Another $100 Million. Gov. Josh Green is asking lawmakers to earmark nearly $100 million this year for additional pandemic hazard pay for public employees, marking the third consecutive year the administration has asked for large sums to settle pandemic hazard claims by the public worker unions. Civil Beat.

Union rebukes senator as school leadership bill sparks capitol clash. Senate Bill 3334 would eliminate Complex Area Superintendents (CAS) and shift more authority over principal hiring to the superintendent. There are currently 15 CAS employed within the Department of Education, which has two staff members each. KHON2.

Commercial aquarium fishing ban proposal hits choppy waters at state level. Those in support of the ban say the practice is unsustainable and depletes native fish populations and natural resources. But those against the ban say the practice is the foundation for their livelihoods and how they support their family. Hawaii Public Radio.

Bill would fund sanctuary for Hawaii’s homeless women, children. Homeless women and children under age 18 would be able to live in their vehicles or in a communal tent on government-sanctioned land that would offer security, case management and bathroom and laundry services under a Senate bill under consideration at the Legislature. Star-Advertiser.

‘Keiki Ride Free’ measure on buses and rail advances. House Bill 1879, dubbed the “Keiki Ride Free” measure, would provide fare-free county bus and rail serv­ice for youth up to age 18, with priority given to low-income and vulnerable children if funding falls short. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaiʻi House advances bill to increase DUI penalties for highly intoxicated drivers. The Hawai‘i House Committee on Transportation passed a measure with amendments that would make a second DUI offense with a blood alcohol content above .15% — and that is within 10 years of a driver’s first DUI conviction — as a class C felony. Big Island Now.

Bill that creates harsher penalties for those driving without a license advances. If it becomes law, HB 2589 “Makes a second conviction for operating a motor vehicle without a license within a five-year period a Class A felony if the defendant's actions result in the death of another person." KITV4.

Hawaiʻi records its second driest year in over a century. Hawaiʻi had its second driest year in more than a century in 2025. About half the state experienced some level of drought, and average temperatures were up to a degree higher than normal across the islands. Hawaii Public Radio.

Concerns raised over Hawaii Pacific Health-HMSA partnership’s impact on Native Hawaiian care. The Office of Hawaiian Affairs heard concerns Thursday that a proposed partnership between Hawaii Pacific Health and HMSA could harm health care for Native Hawaiians. OHA called in both sides of the merger debate because of fears that the partnership will harm the Native Hawaiian community. Hawaii News Now. KHON2. KITV4. 

Oahu

City moves to beef up oversight measure on agritourism. The Council voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt Resolution 17, which proposes amendments to the city’s land use ordinance relating to granting a conditional use permit, or CUP, to large-scale agritourism businesses. Star-Advertiser.

Loud vehicles could be targeted by new cameras. More drivers moving through urban areas with modified or illegal mufflers could see camera technology expand that can detect illegal noise levels, under a bill that continued to move through the Legislature on Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

2 more HPD officers attacked in Waikiki. In Waikiki, the most recent assaults, stemming from Hono­lulu Police Department attempts to break up alcohol- fueled fights on Lewers Street, bring to 10 the number of officers assaulted in Waikiki Opens in a new tab since June. Star-Advertiser.

Failed $20 Bribe: 92-Year-Old Architect Sentenced In Honolulu Permitting Case. An elderly architect convicted of bribery for trying to slip a Honolulu permit reviewer some cash – what he said was $20 for oxtail soup – was sentenced on Thursday to two years of probation.  Civil Beat.

Frustrations aired on proposed permanent parking ban in Lanikai. The popularity of Lanikai beaches has caused a longstanding parking and traffic headache, not just for visitors but especially for residents. Those residents jammed the Kailua Neighborhood Board meeting Thursday night to sound off on plans to fix that. Hawaii News Now.


Hawaii Island

It’s been a wet month so far in East Hawaii, but drought persists. As of 8 a.m. Thursday, Hilo International Airport received 8.45 inches of rain for the month, closing in on its normal February average of 10 inches. Tribune-Herald.

Volunteer group helps clean up Volcano town post-Kīlauea eruption. Team Rubicon, a veteran-led volunteer group, has been helping with repair and recovery through operation “Tephra Falling.” Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Maui’s median single-family home prices increase to $1.4 million in January. Maui’s median single-family home price rose to $1,445,000 in January 2026, up 20.4% from the same month last year. Meanwhile, the median price for a condominium on Maui was $629,950, down 6.7% from a year ago, according to the latest data from the Realtors Association of Maui. Maui Now.

Lahaina’s Famed Banyan Tree Still ‘In The ICU’. Arborists see reasons for optimism — and worry — about the future of the tree. An upcoming assessment will help Maui County officials determine how healthy it is and when it’s safe for the public to go near it again. Civil Beat.

Kauai

Send in the Dogs: How man’s best friend is helping save Kauaʻi’s coconut palms. Tails wagged and noses took center stage on Tuesday evening at the Princeville Community Center as conservationists explained how dogs are becoming an unlikely but powerful ally in the fight against the coconut rhinoceros beetle. Kauai Now.

Mayor visits Kauai Community College students learning trades. Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami joined other special guests for a visit to Kauai Community College’s Automotive Technology department on Wednesday. Garden Island.

Senate panel to discuss banning land sales to foreigners, Maui police issue after-action report on wildfire response, 2.2k plaintiffs file new Red Hill lawsuit, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

A bill is being proposed to the Senate on Tuesday to decide whether foreigners should be banned from purchasing land in Hawaii.  Senator Brenton Awa introduced SB2617 and said it’s about creating affordable housing for local people. KHON2.

Lawmakers introduce bill allowing counties to regulate tobacco sales. Lawmakers are considering a measure to repeal a 2018 state law known as Act 206 that preempts county tobacco sales measures. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hearing today on drunken driving bill. State House Bill 1935 would, if passed, reduce the BAC threshold for drunken driving charges from the current 0.08% to 0.05%, which would be tied with Utah for the lowest in the nation. Tribune-Herald.

Lawmakers look to fund resources for substance abuse issues. The state has already received about $19 million from settlements with opioid distributors and manufacturers to address substance abuse, but most of that money has not been spent. Hawaii Public Radio.

Lawmakers to discuss adding funding to University Hawai‘i budget to expand a scholarship program.  Lawmakers are looking to add $19 million to the University of Hawai‘i’s annual budget to fund the expansion of a community college scholarship to university students at Mānoa, Hilo and West O‘ahu. Big Island Now.

Bill this session would create a sustainable food systems working group for the state. A bill currently in the state Legislature proposes the creation of a working group to improve local agriculture, food resilience and access to healthy food across Hawaiʻi. Hawaii Public Radio.

Schools plan changes as hungry students describe unappetizing lunches. The push for more local fresh food is only at about 6 percent of DOE food served right now, with a goal of 30% by 2030. KHON2.

State psychiatric hospital overcrowded with patients who don’t have medical needs. Hawaii’s only hospital that offers secure treatment for people with mental illnesses is overcrowded — mostly with people who do not medically need hospitalization. Hawaii News Now.

Oahu

New Red Hill suit with 2,200 plaintiffs claims contamination of Navy water continues. Attorneys claim the Navy failed to warn residents after the 2021 fuel spills sickened thousands of people. They also allege plaintiffs are battling lingering illnesses and the water contamination hasn’t gone away. Hawaii News Now.

Ex-city prosecutor, co-defendants want key evidence excluded from corruption trial. Among the topics the defense does not want brought up before the jury: Details about tax returns, campaign contributions and disgraced ex-deputy city Prosecutor Katherine Kealoha. Hawaii News Now.

University of Hawaii selects film studio developer for West Oahu. The University of Hawaii is expected to announce today that it has selected a private developer to design, build, finance and operate a more than $100 million film and television production studio planned next door to UH West Oahu’s campus in Kapolei. Star-Advertiser.

Renewed push afoot to restore and preserve Honolulu’s Chinatown. Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said while there are challenges with the homeless, streets are cleaner, the River of Life relocated, more police are out patrolling, seven new surveillance cameras are up, and a major improvement project is slated for the area next to Cultural Plaza known as “river walk.” Hawaii News Now.

Council scrutinizes city’s tree planting program. Honolulu Council member Radiant Cordero is concerned the city’s stated goal to plant 100,000 trees by 2025 has fallen short of its mark. Star-Advertiser.

Proposed wave pool draws opposition from groups of ʻEwa residents and Native Hawaiians. Plans for another artificial wave pool on the south shore of Oʻahu are raising concerns and a legal challenge from a group of ʻEwa Beach residents and Native Hawaiian cultural practitioners. Hawaii Public Radio.

Hawaii Island

New Hawaiʻi County Human Resources Director Named. Sommer Tokihiro was named to fill the position formerly held by Waylen Leopoldino, who departed the job on June 30, 2023. Big Island Video News.

Hilo Wastewater Treatment Plant Project Draft EA Published. The draft Environmental Assessment says the project is anticipated to cost approximately $300 million to construct. Big Island Video News.

Kona judge calls HMSA contracts ‘unconscionable’. A Kailua-Kona judge on Friday ruled that contract terms and conditions the state’s largest health insurer imposes on doctors and patients are “unconscionable” and “unenforceable.” Tribune-Herald.

New proposal aims to advance study on alternate traffic routes between Puna and Hilo. Hawaiʻi County councilmembers will have another opportunity to advance plans to alleviate traffic congestion in the rapidly growing district of Puna on Hawaiʻi Island. Hawaii Public Radio.

Maui

Communications key to improving response, Maui police say in after-action report.  The Maui Police Department released 32 recommendations and preliminary findings from an internal review of its response to the Aug. 8 high winds and wildfires that left 100 dead and 7,000 people homeless. Star-Advertiser. Civil Beat. Associated Press. Maui Now.  Hawaii News Now.  KHON2.  KITV4.

Final resting place for Lahaina fire debris needs public input. As the cleanup of Lahaina steadily ramps up, Maui County officials are asking the community to help decide the final resting place for an estimated 300,000-400,000 tons of contaminated ash and debris. Maui News.

Program to send young Maui fire victims to Japan. The Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii is preparing to send a cohort of youths affected by the Maui wildfires to Japan as a part of their new program called TOMODACHI Kibou for Maui, an initiative being carried out in partnership with TOMODACHI Initiative and Odyssey Japan. Star-Advertiser.

Kauai

Mirah Horowitz is named new Kaua‘i Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals president. Horowitz previously served as the executive director of the Kaua‘i Humane Society from October 2018 through October 2020. Garden Island.

Gov. Ige seeks to double food production by 2020, homelessness as medical condition, Honolulu bill would strengthen plastic bag ban, state could tighten drunk driving laws, activists plan march on Zuckerberg property, Kim injury keeps him from important hearing, Rep. Ing pleads no contest to citation, more news from all the Hawaiian Islands

Hilo Farmers Market © 2017 All Hawaii News

BREAKING: Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan: 'We are dropping our quiet title actions' Garden Island.

Money Sought To Protect Watersheds And Grow More Food. Hawaii Gov. David Ige joins department heads asking legislators to approve funds for his Sustainable Hawaii Initiative. Civil Beat.

Doubling Hawaii's local food production by 2020 is one of Governor Ige's marquee promises, and the state's Department of Agriculture is tasked with making it become a reality. But with the deadline just three years away, many are asking whether that number is still realistic. Hawaii News Now.

The Hawai‘i Tourism Authority is considering measures to increase public transparency in the wake of criticism from the visitor industry and state lawmakers that it isn’t forthcoming about how it spends tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to market the islands. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii bill would classify homelessness as medical condition. Associated Press.

Measures Aim To Help Domestic Violence Victims Get Help. The Hawaii Women’s Legislative Caucus is also backing bills to ensure access to health care and to keep kids safe. Civil Beat.

The chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Transportation and Energy said Thursday she would not consider bills about Hawaiian Electric Co. if the utility was not included in the process. Star-Advertiser.

The state is looking into tightening drunk driving laws. Right now, the legal limit is 0.08, but an effort is underway to lower that threshold to 0.05. KHON2.

State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald says lawmakers have advanced some troubling bills in recent years to make dramatic changes in the selection, retention and pensions of state judges but that he doesn’t know if the measures were designed to convey some message of disapproval to the state Judiciary. Star-Advertiser.

Hawaii public schools look to lessen food waste. Hawaii News Now.

A proposal to put Office of Hawaiian Affairs CEO Kamana‘opono Crabbe on paid leave while the Board of Trustees works on a deal to buy out his employment contract failed Thursday. Star-Advertiser.

In a dramatic moment Thursday, Native Hawaiian activist Bumpy Kanahele called for an investigation into OHA's finances, throwing a handful of salt onto the group's meeting table and suggesting the board invite federal authorities to examine its business its dealings. Hawaii News Now.

Stephen Schatz, deputy superintendent for the state Department of Education, is leaving his post for a job at the University of Hawaii. Star-Advertiser.

Oahu

A bill to make Honolulu’s plastic bag ban more stringent has been languishing at the City Council despite concerns that the existing law isn’t doing enough to protect Oahu’s environment. Civil Beat.

Honolulu City council member Brandon Elefante has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to use your cell phone while crossing the street, or highway. KITV.

State Health Department officials have issued a public advisory for one of the lagoons at Ko Olina, saying there are high levels of a dangerous bacteria in the water. Hawaii News Now.

The Honolulu Police Commission violated state law when it met behind closed doors to discuss Chief Louis Kealoha’s employment, including agreeing to allow him to retire with an added payment of $250,000, a lawsuit filed Thursday alleges. Civil Beat.

City regulators in Honolulu on Thursday ordered the owners of the shuttered Polynesian Plaza hotel in Waikiki to immediately stop construction work on the property until a new general contractor and plumber are found, Pacific Business News has learned.

Advanced Fresh Concepts Franchise Corp., doing business as AFC Sushi at Safeway Kapahulu, was fined $6,000 Thursday by the state Department of Health for food-safety violations and removing a health inspection placard from public view. Star-Advertiser.

Honolulu, where the median price of a single-family home rose 5 percent last year, was one of the coolest spots in the U.S. for house flipping in 2016, when compared with other metropolitan areas. Pacific Business News.

Three utility-scale solar farms that Hawaiian Electric Co. terminated last year are going to be revived. Star-Advertiser.

The architects who favor street-level rail from Middle Street to Ala Moana Center have launched a website. KITV.

Ledcor Construction Hawaii LLC is suing the owners of the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, claiming the contractor wasn't paid for doing nearly $1 million of work on the hotel’s redevelopment project, Pacific Business News has learned.

Hawaii

Mayor Harry Kim injured his arm and missed an important hearing in Honolulu on Monday, sparking renewed concerns about his health. West Hawaii Today.

Hawaii Island state lawmakers introduced an ambitious long-term plan to revitalize Hilo’s urban core during the ongoing legislative session. Tribune-Herald.

The county Planning Department wants input on a draft version of its Downtown Hilo improvement plan, which recommends converting multiple roads from one-way to two-way and more than doubling off-street public parking spaces. Tribune-Herald.

Hilo’s state senator has introduced a bill to unlock the economic potential of his district’s urban core. Big Island Video News.

Two years ago, the State Legislature appropriated $90 million dollars to build a new judiciary building in Kona.  Now, Hawai‘i State Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald is asking for more funding. Hawaii Public Radio.

After threats to historic trails halted construction on Queen Kaahumanu Highway late last year, the Hawaii Department of Transportation announced Thursday plans to resume the second phase of the highway widening project beginning next week. West Hawaii Today.

Maui

Saying “I was mistaken” when he made earlier statements about his citation for not having vehicle insurance, state Rep. Kaniela Ing pleaded no contest Wednesday to the traffic crime. Maui News.

Maui Criminal Case Filings Increase 50% in Five Years. Maui Now.

Maui’s two licensed medical marijuana dispensaries are weeks away from beginning to grow their first crop, but it may take another four to five months before residents can get their hands on products. Maui News.

Kauai

More than 200 people on Kauai are planning a protest on Saturday near Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 700-acre property in Kilauea. Hawaii News Now.

A California couple is asking $7.5 million for a 552-square-foot, one-bedroom home set on three-quarters of an acre within Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s 700 acres of oceanfront property on the island of Kauai’s North Shore, Pacific Business News has learned.

A store providing free school supplies for teachers on Kaua‘i will open its doors this weekend.  An organization called Kumu’s Cupboard in the Kukui Grove Center will provide resources for local teachers who would otherwise be using their own money to buy basic school supplies. Hawaii Public Radio.

Settlement in polygraph suit may cost state $400K. Star-Advertiser.

Alakai O Kauai Public Charter School is enrolling students. The school unanimously approved by the Hawaii State Charter School Commission is on track to open in August with 165 students. Garden Island.