Honolulu, Hawaiʻi  – Legislators shared statements following the December 3, 2025, announcement of a public-private partnership to expand healthcare access on Hawai‘i Island. The initiative, unveiled by Governor Josh Green, The Queen’s Health Systems, and the West Hawaiʻi Region of the Hawaiʻi Health Systems Corporation, is expected to strengthen services and improve care for communities across the island.   “This partnership is a long-awaited step forward for West Hawaiʻi, and one that I and so many others in the community have worked towards for years. These investments will expand access to essential services, support healthier families, and create new jobs,” said Representative Nicole E. Lowen  (House District 7 - Kailua-Kona, Honokōhau, Kalaoa, Pu‘uanahulu, Puakō, portion of Waikoloa).   “This partnership between The Queen’s Health Systems and our public hospital system is a great first step toward delivering the accessible health care that our growing West Hawaiʻi community desperately needs. Mahalo to all those who have brought this effort to this point. We look forward to a healthy discussion of the funding needs in the next Legislative session,” said Senate Majority Leader Dru Mamo Kanuha  (Senate District 3 - Kona, Ka‘ū, Volcano).   “The caring legacy of Queen Emma and King Kamehameha IV has endured for generations through the Queen’s Health Systems. This partnership will extend that legacy to Kona, where expanding access to health care is an all-hands effort. In the coming Legislative session, we will be advocating for the resources needed to get these facilities open and serving our community,” said House Majority Caucus Leader Kirstin Kahaloa  (House District 6 - Hōnaunau, Nāpo‘opo‘o Captain Cook, Kealakekua, Keauhou, Hōlualoa, Kailua-Kona).

KĀNEʻOHE, OʻAHU – In a significant step forward for Hawaiʻi’s land conservation, Trust for Public Land (TPL) and the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DLNR-DOFAW) announced the transfer of over 900 acres of land from private ownership to the State of Hawaii DLNR-DOFAW for permanent protection and management of Kāneʻohe Pali. With the support of community members and Native Hawaiian nonprofits we are able to preserve the well-being, ecological integrity, and cultural heritage of the Kāneʻohe Pali. The Kāneʻohe Pali serves as a vital habitat for 31 native plants and animals and holds profound cultural significance through hundreds of cultural sites and landmarks. It is home to one of Oʻahu’s most important watersheds that provides 60 percent of the islands drinking water and supplies 1.05 million gallons every day to the Honolulu Board of Water Supply. The Pali also houses abundant springs and 11 streams that sustain the diverse ecosystem. "This is a huge win for the people of the windward side,” exclaimed Chair of the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee Senator Jarrett Keohokalole  (Senate District 24 - Kāne‘ohe, Kailua). “Every Ko'olau resident has traversed these precious mauka lands, and our community is now assured that they will be protected for our grandchildren and beyond." “This is a big win for preserving the critical areas that make our community the special place it is, protecting natural habitat and species, and will be forever held in the public trust for the benefit of future generations,” said Chair of the Transportation and Culture of the Arts Committee Senator Chris Lee (Senate District 25 - Kailua, Waimānalo, Hawai‘i Kai). The acquisition was achieved in partnership between TPL, the state of Hawai‘i, the Department of Defense, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Funding for the acquisition included the State of Hawaii Legacy Land Conservation Program, from the Department of Defense’s Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration Program, and the USDA Forest Legacy Program. The property will be owned by DLNR-DOFAW and managed alongside local nonprofits and the Kāneʻohe community to continue restoration and long-term stewardship of the area. About State of Hawaii’s Legacy Land Conservation Program   The State of Hawai‘i dedicates a portion of its annual revenue from real estate conveyance taxes to the Land Conservation Fund. Each year the State Legislature provides the Legacy Land Conservation Program with some of the money held in the Fund. Then the Legacy Land Conservation Program distributes grants to community organizations and government agencies that strive to purchase and protect land that shelters exceptional, unique, threatened, and endangered resources. To learn more, visit dlnr.hawaii.gov/ecosystems/llcp/ . About Trust for Public Land   A national nonprofit that works with communities to create parks and protect land. Established in 1972, they have protected more than 4 million acres of public land, created more than 5,504 parks and outdoor places, and raised $111 billion in funding for parks and public lands. To learn more, visit tpl.org .   About USDA Forest Legacy Program   A conservation program administered by the U.S. Forest Service in partnership with State agencies to encourage the protection of privately owned forest lands through conservation easements or land purchases. To learn more, visit fs.usda.gov/managing-land/private-land/forest-legacy .   About DOD Readiness Environmental Protection Integration Program (REPI)   This program, established in 2002, preserves military missions by supporting cost-sharing agreements between the Military Services, other agencies, state and local governments, and private organizations to avoid land use conflicts near military installations, address environmental restrictions that limit military activites, and increase military installation resilience. To learn more, visit repi.mil .

HONOLULU  – This upcoming Monday afternoon, December 8, the Hawaiʻi State Senate Committee on Judiciary, chaired by Senator Karl Rhoads (Senate District 13 – Dowsett Highlands, Puʻunui, Nuʻuanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, Liliha, Iwilei, Chinatown, and Downtown) will hold an informational briefing to hear about the impact and legality of new federal immigration enforcements efforts as they relate to Hawaiʻi.  This will be the final briefing in a six-part series of informational briefings on the rule of law in relation to the recent actions of the Trump Administration and how its decisions are impacting Hawaiʻi.    Among other issues, the briefing will explore enforcement actions that are occurring in the State, the disregard of due process requirements and standard court or legal practices, the questioning and detention of individuals who are U.S. citizens or whose legal immigration status is clear, the suppression of free speech and the media, and pressure on state and local law enforcement to collaborate with federal immigration actions.   View the Hearing Notice HERE   “We’ve seen a rise in the use of troubling tactics by federal immigration officials.  Everyone supports deporting criminals who have committed violent crimes.  What is concerning is the harassment of American citizens, legal immigrants and those who have lived in the United States for decades holding legitimate jobs, often doing critical work like harvesting farm products,” said Senator Karl Rhoads. “The Judiciary Committee seeks to gather information on whether these new tactics are consistent with constitutional protections and long-standing legal norms. Our goal is to ensure the rights of Hawaiʻi residents are respected and that none of us have to worry about being abducted by unidentified masked men while going about our daily business.”   AGENDA   1.      Welcome and Introductions (5 minutes)   2.      Overview from Dr. Amy Agbayani , Emeritus Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Diversity at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa and Co-Chair of Hawai'i Friends of Civil Rights (5 minutes)   3.      Presentations (15 minutes each)   a.   Bettina Mok , Executive Director, The Legal Clinic (TLC)   b.   Pilar Kam and Stephanie Haro Sevilla , Postgraduate Fellows and Immigrant Advocates, Refugee & Immigration Law Clinic (RILC) at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa William S. Richardson School of Law   c.    Liza Ryan Gill , Co-Coordinator, Hawaiʻi Coalition for Immigrant Rights (HICIR)   4.    Closing Remarks  from Dr. Amy Agbayani (10 minutes)   5.    Questions  from the Committee (5 minutes per Member)   WHEN/WHERE   2:00 PM, Monday, December 8, 2025   Conference Room 016 & Videoconference     Hawaiʻi State Capitol   415 South Beretania Street   Honolulu, HI 96813   ACCESSIBILITY: For accommodations, please contact the committee clerk at (808) 587-7211 or email JDCCommittee@capitol.hawaii.gov .  Requests made as early as possible have a greater likelihood of being fulfilled.   Photo ID is required for entry into the State Capitol building. Limited paid public parking is available at the Capitol; entrance is via Miller Street off Punchbowl. Additional public parking is available in Lot V (Vineyard Garage on Punchbowl); Lot G (Kalanimoku Building on Beretania & Punchbowl); and Lot L (Kinau Hale Building on Punchbowl).     This informational briefing is the sixth in a series of informational briefings on the rule of law in relation to the recent actions of the Trump Administration and how its decisions are impacting Hawaiʻi.   Information about past and upcoming briefings can be accessed on the Senate Judiciary Committee webpage HERE

The official website of the Hawaiʻi Senate Majority Caucus. 2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION WATCH HEARINGS UPCOMING HEARINGS FIND YOUR SENATOR OUR LEADERSHIP RONALD D. KOUCHI President of the Senate LORRAINE INOUYE Majority Whip MICHELLE N. KIDANI Vice President of the Senate HENRY J.C. AQUINO Assistant Majority Whip DRU MAMO KANUHA Majority Leader TROY N. HASHIMOTO Assistant Majority Whip GLENN WAKAI Majority Floor Leader JARRETT KEOHOKALOLE Assistant Majority Whip LYNN DECOITE Assistant Majority Floor Leader CHRIS LEE Assistant Majority Whip LES IHARA, JR. Majority Policy Leader HERBERT "TIM" RICHARDS, III Assistant Majority Whip STAY CONNECTED: Load More

OUR CAUCUS Assistant Majority Whip Henry J.C. Aquino Senate District 19 Pearl City, Waipahu, Wet Loch Estates, Hono‘uli‘uli, Ho‘opili Stanley Chang Senate District 9 Hawai‘i Kai, Kuli‘ou‘ou, Niu, ‘Āina Haina, Wai‘alae-Kāhala, Diamond Head, Kaimukī, Kapahulu Lynn DeCoite Assistant Majority Floor Leader Senate District 7 Hāna, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe and Molokini Donovan M. Dela Cruz Senate District 17 Portion of Mililani, Mililani Mauka, portion of Waipi‘o Acres, Launani Valley, Wahiawā, Whitmore Village Brandon J.C. Elefante Senate District 16 ‘Aiea, ‘Aiea Heights, Hālawa, Pearlridge, Newtown, Royal Summit, Waimalu, Waiau, Momilani, Pacific Palisades, and Pearl City Carol Fukunaga Senate District 11 Mānoa, Makiki/Punchbowl, Tantalus and Papakōlea Mike Gabbard Senate District 21 Kapolei, Makakilo, Kalaeloa, portions of Fernandez Village, and ‘Ewa Troy N. Hashimoto Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 5 Wailuku, Kahului, Waihe‘e, Waikapu Mauka, Wai‘ehu Les Ihara, Jr. Majority Policy Leader Senate District 10 Pālolo, St. Louis Heights, Maunalani Heights, Ala Wai mauka, portions of Kaimukī, Kapahulu, Mō‘ili‘ili, McCully Lorraine R. Inouye Majority Whip Senate District 1 Hilo, Pauka‘a, Papaikou, Pepe‘ekeo Dru Mamo Kanuha Majority Leader Senate District 3 Kona, Ka‘ū, Volcano Jarrett Keohokalole Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 24 Kāne‘ohe, Kailua Michelle N. Kidani Vice President Senate District 18 Mililani Town, Waipi‘o Gentry, Crestview, Waikele, portion of Waipahu, Village Park, Royal Kunia Donna Mercado Kim Senate District 14 Kapālama, ‘Ālewa, Kalihi, Kalihi Valley, Ft. Shafter, Moanalua Gardens & Valley, Red Hill Ronald D. Kouchi President Senate District 8 Kaua'i, Ni'ihau Chris Lee Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 25 Kailua, Waimānalo, Hawai‘i Kai Angus L.K. McKelvey Senate District 6 West Maui, Mā‘alaea, Waikapū, South Maui Sharon Y. Moriwaki Senate District 12 Waikīkī, Ala Moana, Kaka‘ako, McCully Karl Rhoads Senate District 13 Dowsett Highlands, Pu‘unui, Nu‘uanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Punchbowl, Pālama, Liliha, Iwilei, Chinatown, and Downtown Herbert M. "Tim" Richards III Assistant Majority Whip Senate District 4 North Hilo, Hāmākua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, North Kona Joy A. San Buenaventura Senate District 2 Puna Glenn Wakai Majority Floor Leader Senate District 15 Kalihi, Māpunapuna, Airport, Salt Lake, Āliamanu, Foster Village, Hickam, Pearl Harbor, and portions of ‘Aiea and Pearl City

About the Hawaiʻi Senate Majority Caucus ABOUT THE SENATE There are 25 members of the Hawaiʻi State Senate. Senators are elected to serve staggered four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. The presiding officer of the Senate is the Senate President. Other officers of the Senate include the Vice President, Majority Leader, Majority Caucus Leader, Majority Floor Leader/Whip, Majority Whip, and Assistant Majority Whip. The officers of the Senate are elected by a majority vote of the Senate members. The Hawaiʻi Senate Majority consists of 22 Democrats for the Thirty-Third Legislature, which convened on January 15th, 2025 and adjourned Sine Die on May 2nd, 2025.