Hawaii
Proposed pay hikes for state leaders spark outrage
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The state Commission on Salaries is recommending big pay hikes for hundreds of positions, from the governor down to state senators and representatives.
State legislators meet once a year for 60 business days from mid-January to late April or early May. Right now, each lawmaker makes $74,160 a year. The commission is proposing a 40% raise in 2027, the first year they are allowed an increase, to $103,824.
“It is because we really do want to recruit people, and we really do want to have people who want to serve, and we want them to have a living wage,” said commission chair Colleen Hanabusa.
“That’s recognizing that it’s essentially full-time,” said commission member Susan Arnett, during Thursday’s hearing. “It doesn’t mean that they have to meet 12 months a year and the expense that would all have.”
But some constituents, and even some lawmakers, say that’s too much.
“The fact that you even need to keep increasing, increasing to keep up with the cost of living. What about the people for whom you work?” asked Tara Rojas, who testified remotely.
“In most private sector jobs, you’ll see a 3% increase, a 5% increase, maybe a 10% increase. But a 40% increase is something that’s just not sitting well with my community,” said state Rep. Diamond Garcia, R-Varona Village, Ewa, Kapolei.
“Families are struggling right now, and I don’t believe now is the time for increase state officials’ salaries,” said state Sen. Samantha DeCorte, R-Nanakuli, Maili, Waiane, Makaha.
“Are we getting candidates now for the money, or are we getting candidates who truly want to do the job?” asked state Senate Minority Leader Brenton Awa.
The proposed raises for state leaders comes two years after city leaders got a controversial 64% increase.
“Voters are still furious about this raise for members of the city council,” said HNN political analyst Colin Moore. “It’s one of the few areas where people will get visibly angry about what they feel was a real injustice here.”
The commission is also proposing large increases for the governor and lieutenant governor, along with the chief justice, other judges, and state department heads.
“We’re setting salaries for about 218 people, really less than 1% of the total budget of the state of Hawaii. That’s what we’re doing. But they happen to be all the leaders,” said Hanabusa.
Under the state constitution, the salary commission convenes once every six years. And if the legislature doesn’t approve its recommendations, none of the 218 positions will get a raise until at least 2031.
The commission is set to meet again on March 4.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – Concrete fell from the exterior of an Ala Moana Center parking structure Monday afternoon near the Kapiolani Boulevard exit, damaging a vehicle.
No injuries were reported.
Security blocked an exit lane as debris scattered across the roadway. Ala Moana Center said they are grateful no one was hurt, and the lane will remain closed while structural engineers and construction professionals assess the damage and make repairs.
Copyright 2026 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Hawaii
Hawaii weather: USGS revised 4.6 magnitude earthquake off Kona coast, south swell, passing showers
HAWAII VOLCANOES NATIONAL PARK, Hawaii (AP) — The on-and-off eruption of Hawaii’s Kilauea volcano broke a record Monday with the number of periods it has produced fountains of lava since it began erupting in December 2024, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory said.
Monday marked 48 fountaining episodes, setting the record for any one eruption on Kilauea, said Katie Mulliken, a geologist and spokesperson with the observatory.
Episodes are separated by periods during which little to no lava erupts. Since lava is coming from the same vents in a crater at Kilauea’s summit, it is the same overall eruption, Mulliken said in an email.
There are several notable aspects of the current eruption, she said, including how accessible it is for viewing by residents and tourists. An eruption during the 1980s, in which 47 lava fountaining episodes occurred over about 3 1/2 years, occurred in a more remote area, she said.
The ongoing eruption is also reshaping the topography at the summit, she said.
But the lava fountains also can impact neighboring communities with volcanic fragments and ash, known as tephra.
Kilauea, located on Hawaii Island, is one of the world’s most active volcanoes.
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