The measure has received pushback from the local business community, which is still dealing with the economic fallout brought on by the pandemic.

Lawmakers consider a bill to increase the state tax from 16 cents per cigarette to 21 cents.

Gov. David Ige vetoed a similar proposal in 2019 over worries that it would hinder law enforcement operations.

A hearing is set this week on a bill that proposes using revenue for public education.

Hawaii is one of only three states that don’t yet officially commemorate Juneteenth, the day that marks the historic end of slavery in the United States.

Anything other than the COVID-19 pandemic is off-topic this year.

The Hawaii House speaker has assumed an outsized role in the state’s response to the pandemic.

The new state tax of 10 cents a drink would be in effect for the next three years, and raise about $62 million a year.

A companion measure is still alive in the Senate, though the gambling bills face opposition from some legislative leaders and the governor.

Two new reports reveal that the government agency has failed miserably in its critical mission to diversify ag.