#Hawaii House of Representatives

The holiday season meetings are an effort to reach out to and engage with the residents of the lawmaker’s congressional district, giving them an opportunity to share topics important to their community.

New House leadership team for 2025 legislative session also includes Hawaiʻi Island state Rep. Chris Todd, who was named House Majority Caucus Leader.

Available jobs at the Capitol in Honolulu include legislative aide, committee clerk, program budget analyst, data-entry clerk, receptionist, service aide, support staff for remote hearings and legislative attorney.

Rep. Mark Nakashima — who grew up in Honoka‘a and was first elected in 2008, serving in the state House District 1 seat until his death — died July 11 after suffering from health complications from a long two-decade battle with diabetes.

“This is a tremendous loss for the Hāmākua, Hilo and Kaʻūmana community and the House of Representatives. Mark served his community and our state with dignity and respect. He will be missed. Our heartfelt condolences go to Mark’s family during this time.” — Hawai’i House Speaker Scott K. Saiki

House speaker says this year was incredibly productive for the chamber, which made significant progress on its priorities including tax relief for asset limited, income constrained, employed families.

The panel’s move to sideline Senate Bill 3335, which was advanced by the Hawaiʻi state Senate Commerce and Consumer Protection and Ways and Means committees last month, essentially kills the bill this legislative session.

Although the House draft of the state budget focuses heavily on addressing expenses related to the Maui wildfires, House Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita has said core services throughout the state must be maintained.

House Bill No. 2329 allocates $150,000 to establish a one-year pilot program to reduce the population of rose-ringed parakeets on the Garden Isle.

It could be if legislation co-introduced by several Big Island state lawmakers is passed. House Bill 2736 would designate the uniquely Hawaiian hand sign as the official gesture of the state.

The nine-bill package is aimed at addressing several critical issues throughout the state, including affordable housing, homelessness, mental health licensure, electric vehicles and more.

The House Committee on Finance will continue to conduct site visits across the state to gain insight into the status of ongoing projects and other needs of neighbor island communities.

The Hawai’i Senate and House of Representatives spent several hours taking up last-minute measures Thursday on the final day of the 32nd Hawai’i Legislature, including the proposed state biennium budget that passed both branches.

The measure is a key component to the Ready Keiki initiative led by Lt. Governor Sylvia Luke to expand access to preschool for all Hawaiʻi three- and four-year-olds by 2032.

The report cited a slew of high-profile criminal acts by government workers and officials, including a Big Island case involving $2 million in bribes and kickbacks to a county housing office employee.

As the 2023 State Legislative session ramps up, will policymakers tackle a crisis of violence against Native Hawaiian women and girls?

For nearly three years, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the Hawaiʻi State House and Senate to operate solemnly online, but Wednesday the public was back and the mood was festive.

This year, the Hawaiʻi State Capitol is open to the pubic and in-person public sessions for the first time since COVID-19 led to social distancing.

Representatives Nakashima, Tarnas, Lowen, and Onishi will chair a committee in the upcoming legislative session.

The Hawai‘i House of Representatives has named its leadership, as well as appointed chairpersons to all committees.