A Cautious Legislature, Locked In The Capitol, Played It Safe - Honolulu Civil Beat
A Cautious Legislature, Locked In The Capitol, Played It Safe
Critics hoped the pandemic would be the catalyst for significant changes to address long-term problems facing Hawaii. But the budget shortfall dominated the 2021 session. Reading time: 10 minutes.
The past year was a time of astonishing political foment on the mainland, with Black Lives Matter protests demanding law enforcement reforms and an abrupt shift to a liberal, activist government with the election of President Joe Biden.
But the Hawaii Legislature remained locked in a Capitol building that was closed to the public during the pandemic, and its leaders behaved as if they couldn’t hear all the noise outside.
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Prison reform advocates worry key bills wonât survive legislative session
Prison reform advocates worry key bills are stalled in the state legislature By Rick Daysog | February 21, 2021 at 6:07 PM HST - Updated February 21 at 10:41 PM
HONOLULU, Hawaii (HawaiiNewsNow) - Prison reform measures, which gained momentum during the COVID pandemic, are now faltering in the state Legislature, advocates said.
They said several bills including measures to modernize the criminal justice system and the bail system and one that places a one-year moratorium on the construction of a new Oahu Community Correctional Center at Halawa have stalled or have been watered down this session.