Commentary

One Ballot, Real Choice: Why Hawaiʻi Needs Truly Open Primaries Kalany Omengkar/Civil Beat/2024

One Ballot, Real Choice: Why Hawaiʻi Needs Truly Open Primaries

A Senate bill would replace party primaries with a single open primary in which every candidate appears on one ballot and every voter can choose from the full field.

Makana Eyre: Why Did We Stop Caring About The Ala Wai Canal? David Croxford/Civil Beat/2025

Makana Eyre: Why Did We Stop Caring About The Ala Wai Canal?

We need to demand real and lasting change for the iconic waterway.

The Most Influential People At The State Capitol Are Out In The Hallway Blaze Lovell/Civil Beat/2025

The Most Influential People At The State Capitol Are Out In The Hallway

Top lobbyists often have more influence than the lawmakers themselves who pass or reject their bills.

Hawaiʻi Should Expand Legal Access To Psychedelics Getty Images/iStockphoto

Hawaiʻi Should Expand Legal Access To Psychedelics

Veterans deserve healing. First responders deserve healing. Families deserve healing. The people of Hawaiʻi deserve healing.

Kirstin Downey: New Insights About Hawaiʻi From An Archive In San Francisco Screenshot/2026

Kirstin Downey: New Insights About Hawaiʻi From An Archive In San Francisco

The Sutro Library holds a large manuscript collection that once belonged to a wealthy Brit whose hobby was Pacific exploration.

Neal Milner: This Battle Of The Bullies Is Laughably Absurd Kalany Omengkar/Civil Beat/2023

Neal Milner: This Battle Of The Bullies Is Laughably Absurd

Sen. Donna Kim and HGEA Director Randy Perreira each say the other is abusive. They should each look in the mirror.

Transportation: A Cost-Of-Living Burden But Also An Opportunity Hawaiʻi Department of Transportation

Transportation: A Cost-Of-Living Burden But Also An Opportunity

Reframe the conversation by investing in multimodal services and infrastructure.

Hawaiʻi’s Most Vulnerable Patients Deserve Better Than A Shortcut Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Hawaiʻi’s Most Vulnerable Patients Deserve Better Than A Shortcut

Psychiatric prescribing is not simply matching a diagnosis to a medication.

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Should Look To New Orleans For Education Models Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2026

Hawaiʻi Lawmakers Should Look To New Orleans For Education Models

Rather than relying on a top-heavy state department to dictate operations, individual schools are granted full autonomy over their budgets, staffing, and curricula.