Opponents of the measure said the bill would hurt the industry it was intended to help.

The Senate Commerce chair was in the middle of some of the Legislature’s most contentious issues.

Also making the list are bills stipulating the labeling of Māmaki tea and making as yet unidentified line-item reductions to the state budget.

State Fire Marshal Dori Booth will work to implement changes recommended after the Lahaina wildfire.

Hawaiʻi has some of the most restrictive firearms laws in the nation, but senators balked in the 11th hour at a ban on semiautomatic rifles and large-capacity magazines.

A Hawaiʻi vacation will cost you more in the near future thanks to a new “green fee” that the governor signed into law today.

Gov. Josh Green wanted the money to go into special environmental funds. Instead, lawmakers retain a say in how it’s spent.

After the 2023 fires destroyed much of Lahaina, Hawaiʻi vowed to improve prevention measures. More than two years later, the state has finally paved the way for that to happen.

The harbor’s status as a public asset is at odds with the state’s long-term goals for private management boating facilities.

Lawmakers are pushing for a comprehensive plan to address Hawaiʻi’s overreliance on imported foods and the growing number of residents who can’t afford groceries.