Hawaii State Legislature
| Hawaii State Legislature | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Type: | State legislature |
| Term limits: | None |
| Session start: | January 21, 2026 |
| Website: | Official Legislature Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Ronald Kouchi (D) |
| House Speaker: | Nadine Nakamura (D) |
| Majority Leader: | Senate:Dru Kanuha (D) House:Sean Quinlan (D) |
| Minority Leader: | Senate:Brenton Awa (R) Senate:Lauren Cheape Matsumoto (R) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 25 (Senate), 51 (House) |
| Length of term: | 4 years (Senate),2 years (House) |
| Authority: | Article III of the Hawaii Constitution |
| Salary: | $74,160/year + per diem |
| Elections | |
| Last election: | November 5, 2024 |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Redistricting: | Politician commission |
TheHawaii State Legislature is thestate legislature ofHawaii. Its upper house is theHawaii State Senate and itslower house is theHawaii House of Representatives.
The legislature meets in Honolulu. It is the descendant of the legislature of the Kingdom of Hawaii, the Republic of Hawaii, and the territorial legislature of the U.S. Territory of Hawaii.
The Hawaii State Legislature makes laws that govern the state of Hawaii. The Senate has the advise and consent power to confirm the governor's appointments, both for the executive branch, such as department heads, and most judges of the judicial branch. Both houses may proposeamendments to theHawaii Constitution by either a 2/3 vote of each house in a single session, or a majority vote of both houses in two sessions.Constitutional amendments are presented to the public at the next general election and must pass by a simple majority to become law.
Hawaii has a Democratictrifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.
Senate
TheHawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. There are twenty-five members from various electoral districts.
As of the 2020 Census, Hawaii state senators represented an average of58,405 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented54,674 residents.
It is led by the President of the Senate elected from the membership of the Senate. The forerunner of the Hawaii State Senate during the government of the Kingdom of Hawaii was the House of Nobles. Senators are elected to four-year terms and are not subject toterm limits. Like in most state legislatures in the United States, the Hawaii State Senate is a part-time body and senators often have active careers outside of government.
| As of February 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| Democratic | 22 | |
| Republican | 3 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Democrats won control of the Hawaii State Senate in 1962. In2024, they won a 22-3 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Hawaii Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Hawaii State Senate election results: 1992-2024
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 22 | 23 | 23 | 23 | 22 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 23 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| Republicans | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
Before 1992
Republicans controlled the Hawaii Senate from 1959 to 1962, the year Democrats gained control of the chamber.
House of Representatives
The Hawaii House of Representatives is thelower house of the Hawaii State Legislature. The House consists of 51 members representing an equal amount of districts across the islands.
As of the 2020 Census, Hawaii state representatives represented an average of28,630 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented26,801 residents.
It is led by the Speaker of the House elected from the membership of the House.
Legislators are elected to two-year terms and are not subject toterm limits. Like in most state legislatures in the United States, the Hawaii House of Representatives is a part-time body and legislators often have active careers outside of government.
| As of February 2026 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Members | |
| Democratic | 42 | |
| Republican | 9 | |
| Other | 0 | |
| Vacancies | 0 | |
| Total | 51 | |
Click here for a list of members of this chamber.
Democrats have controlled the Hawaii House of Representatives since 1959, the year it achieved statehood. In2024, they won a 42-9 majority.
The table below shows the partisan history of the Hawaii House following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin'sParty Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.
Hawaii House of Representatives election results: 1992-2024
| Year | '92 | '94 | '96 | '98 | '00 | '02 | '04 | '06 | '08 | '10 | '12 | '14 | '16 | '18 | '20 | '22 | '24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 47 | 44 | 39 | 39 | 32 | 36 | 41 | 43 | 45 | 43 | 44 | 43 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 45 | 42 |
| Republicans | 4 | 7 | 12 | 12 | 19 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
Elections
2026
Elections for theHawaii State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is onNovember 3, 2026. The primary isAugust 8, 2026. The filing deadline isJune 2, 2026.
Elections for theHawaii House of Representatives will take place in 2026. The general election is onNovember 3, 2026. The primary isAugust 8, 2026. The filing deadline isJune 2, 2026.
2024
Elections for theHawaii State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was onNovember 5, 2024. The primary wasAugust 10, 2024. The filing deadline wasJune 4, 2024.
Elections for theHawaii House of Representatives took place in 2024. The general election was onNovember 5, 2024. The primary wasAugust 10, 2024. The filing deadline wasJune 4, 2024.
2022
Elections for theHawaii State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 13, 2022. The filing deadline was June 7, 2022.
Elections for theHawaii House of Representatives took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 13, 2022. The filing deadline was June 7, 2022.
2020
Elections for the office ofHawaii State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 8, 2020. The filing deadline was June 2, 2020.
Elections for the office ofHawaii House of Representatives took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 8, 2020. The filing deadline was June 2, 2020.
2018
Elections for theHawaii State Senate took place in 2018. Anopen primary election took place on August 11, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline wasJune 5, 2018.[1]
Elections for theHawaii House of Representatives took place in 2018. Anopen primary election took place on August 11, 2018. The general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline wasJune 5, 2018.[2]
2016
Elections for theHawaii State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 7, 2016.
Elections for theHawaii House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 7, 2016.
2014
Elections for theHawaii State Senate took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 9, 2014. The general election was held onNovember 4, 2014. Thesignature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014.
Elections for theHawaii House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election took place on August 9, 2014. The general election was held onNovember 4, 2014. Thesignature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was June 3, 2014.
2012
Elections for the office of Hawaii State Senate took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 11, 2012, and the general election was held onNovember 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was June 5, 2012.
Elections for the office of Hawaii House of Representatives took place in 2012. The primary election was held on August 11, 2012, and the general election was held onNovember 6, 2012. The candidate filing deadline was July 12, 2012.
2010
Elections for the office of Hawaii State Senate took place in 2010. The primary election was held on September 18, 2010, and the general election was held onNovember 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was July 20, 2010.
Elections for the office of Hawaii House of Representatives took place in 2010. The primary election was held on September 18, 2010, and the general election was held onNovember 2, 2010. The candidate filing deadline was July 20, 2010.
Sessions
Article III of the Hawaii Constitution establishes when the Legislature is to be in session. Section 10 of Article III states that the Legislature shall convene in regular session on the third Wednesday in January of every year. Regular sessions are limited to sixty legislative days, but they can be extended by fifteen days by theGovernor of Hawaii or by the request of two-thirds of each legislative house. Section 10 mandates that the Legislature take a mandatory recess of at least five days during each regular session.
Section 10 also contains provisions regarding special sessions of the Legislature. Special sessions can involve both houses of the Legislature or the Senate alone. Special sessions can be convened by theGovernor of Hawaii or by two-thirds of the house or houses seeking to convene. Special sessions are limited in length. They are not to last more than thirty legislative days, but they, like regular sessions, can be extended for fifteen days.
2025
In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 15, 2025, and adjourn on May 2, 2025.
| Click [show] for past years' session dates. | |||
|---|---|---|---|
2024In 2024, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 17, 2024, and adjourn on May 3, 2024. 2023In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 18, 2023, and adjourn on May 4, 2023. 2022In 2022, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 19, 2022, and adjourn on May 5, 2022. 2021In 2021, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 20, 2021, and adjourn on April 29, 2021. 2020In 2020, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 15, 2020, and adjourn on July 10, 2020. Effect of coronavirus pandemic
Several state legislatures had their sessions impacted as a result of the 2020 coronavirus pandemic. TheHawaii State Legislature suspended its session, effective March 17, 2020, through May 11, 2020. The legislature adjourned on July 10, 2020.[3][4] 2019In 2019, the legislature was in session from January 16, 2019, through May 2, 2019. 2018In 2018, the legislature was in session from January 17, 2018, through May 3, 2018. To read about notable events and legislation from this session, clickhere. 2017In 2017, the legislature was in session from January 18, 2017, through May 4, 2017. The legislature held its first special session from August 28, 2017, to September 1, 2017. The legislature held its second special session from September 25 to September 26. The legislature held its third special session on November 14. Special session over rail project funding
2016In 2016, the legislature was in session from January 20 through May 5. The legislature held a special session from July 12 to July 20. 2015In 2015, the legislature was in session from January 21 through May 7. The legislature convened a two-day special session on November 5 over judicial nominees. Major issues in 2015Major issues in the 2015 legislative session included the general excise tax, medical marijuana, and homelessness.[5] 2014In 2014, the legislature was in session from January 15 through May 2. Major issues in 2014Major issues during the 2014 legislative session included GMO labeling, raising the minimum wage, clean energy, and climate change.[6] A budget for the 2014-2015 fiscal year was passed through HB1700. The budget provided $6.189 billion in general funds and $12.147 billion in all means of financing.Sylvia Luke (D), Chairman of theHouse Finance Committee described the budget as measured and prudent.[7] 2013In 2013, the legislature was in session from January 16 to May 3. Major issues in 2013Major issues during the 2013 legislative session included revenue, hotel room tax, GET increase, education funding, and renewable energy tax credits.[8] 2012In 2012, the legislature was in session from January 18 to May 3. Major issues in 2012The legislature focused on job creation, creating a sustainable economy, sustainable and renewable energy, improving the state's information technology infrastructure, and education funding.[9] 2011In 2011, the legislature was in session from January 19 through May 5. 2010In 2010, the legislature was in session from January 20th to April 29th. |
Role in state budget
- See also:Hawaii state budget and finances
Hawaiion |
Hawaii operates on a biennial budget cycle, with each biennium beginning on July 1. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[10]
- Budget instructions are sent to state agencies betweenJuly andAugust of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
- State agencies submit their budget requests to thegovernor bySeptember.
- The governor submits his or her proposed budget to thestate legislature inDecember.
- InApril orMay, the legislature adopts the budget. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.
Hawaii is one of 44 states in which the governor hasline item veto authority.[10][11]
The governor is statutorily and constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget to the legislature. Though the legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget, the budget must be balanced for the governor to sign it into law.[10]
Legislators
Salaries
| State legislative salaries, 2025[12] | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $74,160/year | $225/day; only for legislators who do not reside on Oahu. |
Swearing in dates
Hawaii legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[13]
District maps
State Senate
State House
Veto overrides
- See also:Veto overrides in state legislatures
State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Hawaii are listed below.
How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.
| Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 34 of the 51 members in theHawaii House of Representatives and 17 of the 25 members in theHawaii State Senate. Hawaii is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto. |
How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?
| According toArticle III, Section 16 of theHawaii Constitution, the legislature may convene itself in special session at the end of the governor's bill signing period to consider veto overrides. Two-thirds of members in both chambers must agree to call for a special session.[14] |
Authority:Article III, Section 17 of theHawaii Constitution.
| "Upon the receipt of a veto message from the governor, each house shall enter the same at large upon its journal and proceed to reconsider the vetoed bill, or the item or items vetoed, and again vote upon such bill, or such item or items, by ayes and noes, which shall be entered upon its journal. If after such reconsideration such bill, or such item or items, shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of all members to which each house is entitled, the same shall become law." |
Redistricting
- See also:Redistricting in Hawaii
In Hawaii, a nine-member commission draws both congressional and state legislative district lines. The majority and minority leaders of theHawaii State Senate andHawaii House of Representatives each select two members. These eight members then select a ninth tie-breaking commissioner. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement on a ninth member, theHawaii Supreme Court must make the appointment.[15]
Both congressional and state legislative district boundaries must be contiguous and compact. In addition, where possible, district lines "must follow permanent and easily recognized features ... and coincide with census tracts." In addition, "districts must also avoid submerging one area in another with substantially different predominant socioeconomic interests." No district can be drawn "to unduly favor a person or political faction."[15]
State law permits state legislative districts to be multimember, but a maximum of four representatives can be elected from a single district.[15]
2020
The Hawaii Reapportionment Commission approved new legislative district maps on January 28, 2022.[16] The commission's Technical Committee Permitted Interaction Group initially presented the state legislative map plans to the commission for consideration on October 14, 2021. The map plans were approved for public comment on October 28.[17] On January 6, the commission approved a motion to modify the legislative map plans after learning the initial plans had not properly accounted for the number of nonpermanent resident personnel on military installations in the state, who are not included in legislative redistricting. Under the modified proposal, one legislative district would be moved from Oahu to Hawaii.[18][19] This map took effect for Hawaii's 2022 state legislative elections.
2010
On August 3, 2011, the redistricting commission released draft proposals for congressional and state legislative district maps. Final plans were released on September 26, 2011. On January 6, 2012, a state court ruled inSolomon v. Abercrombie that the state legislative maps "failed to properly exclude nonresident population." On March 8, 2012, the redistricting commission submitted revised state legislative district maps to comply with the court's ruling. The revised lines were challenged in federal court. The court rejected this latter challenge, filed asKostick v. Nago, on July 11, 2013, permitting the redrawn lines to stand.[15]
History
Partisan balance 1992-2013
Hawaii State Senate:Throughout every year from 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Hawaii State Senate. The Hawaii State Senate is 1 of 16 state senates that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. During the final three years of the study, Hawaii was under Democratictrifectas.
Across the country, there were 541 Democratic and 517 Republican state senates from 1992 to 2013.
Hawaii State House of Representatives:Throughout every year from 1992-2013, the Democratic Party was the majority in the Hawaii State house of Representatives. The Hawaii State House of Representatives is one of 18 state Houses that was Democratic for more than 80 percent of the years between 1992-2013. During the final three years of the study, Hawaii was under Democratictrifectas.
Across the country, there were 577 Democratic and 483 Republican State Houses of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.
The chart below shows the partisan composition of theOffice of the Governor of Hawaii, theHawaii State Senate and theHawaii House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.
.PNG)
SQLI and partisanship
- To read the full report on theState Quality of Life Index (SQLI) in PDF form, clickhere.
The chart below depicts the partisanship of the Hawaii state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. Hawaii has never had a Republican trifecta, but has had a Democratic trifecta between the years 1992 and 2002, and again beginning in 2011. The interruption of these two periods came in 2003 with a Republican governor. The state’s highest SQLI ranking (11th) came in 1993 under a Democratic trifecta, while Hawaii’s lowest SQLI ranking (39th) in 1999 and 2001, also under a Democratic trifecta. The state saw a precipitous decline in its ranking between 1994 and 1995, falling thirteen spots from 15th to 28th. Between 1996 and 1997, the state recovered in its SQLI ranking by nine spots before dropping to a new low (39th) in 1999.
- SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 29.46
- SQLI average with Republican trifecta: N/A
- SQLI average with divided government: 33.88
Joint standing committees
Hawaii does not have joint standing committees.
Constitutional amendments
In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process forreferring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states,initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are alsomany other types of statewide measures.
The methods in which the Hawaii Constitution can be amended:
TheHawaii Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution— a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Hawaii requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.
Legislature
Atwo-thirds (66.67%) vote is required during one legislative session or a simple majority vote in two successive legislative sessions for theHawaii State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 35 votes in theHawaii House of Representatives and 17 votes in theHawaii State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.
Convention
According toSection 2 of Article XVII of theHawaii Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is toautomatically appear on the state's ballot after a period of nine years. Hawaii is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.
The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:
| State | Interval | Last question on the ballot | Next question on the ballot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | 10 years | 2018 | 2028 |
Historical context:A total of62 measures appeared on statewide ballots in Hawaii from 1985 to 2020.
- From 1985 to 2022, the number of measures on statewide ballots ranged from zero to eight.
- From 1985 to 2020, an average of 3.26 measures appeared on the ballot in Hawaii during even-numbered election years. The median number of measures was three.
- From 1985 to 2020, 70.97% (44 of 62) of the total number of measures that appeared on statewide ballots during even-numbered years were approved, and 29.03% (18 of 62) were defeated.
| Ballot measures in Hawaii, 1985-2020 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Total number | Approved | Percent approved | Defeated | Percent defeated | Average | Median | Minimum | Maximum | |
| All measures | 62 | 44 | 70.97% | 79 | 29.03% | 1.29 | 3 | 0 | 8 | |
| Initiated statues and amendments | x | x | x% | x | x% | x | x | x | x | |
See also
| Elections | Hawaii State Government | State Legislatures | State Politics |
|---|---|---|---|
 |  |  |  |
External links
Footnotes
- ↑Hawaii Office of Elections, "Calendar," accessed August 2, 2017
- ↑Hawaii Office of Elections, "Calendar," accessed August 2, 2017
- ↑Hawaii State Legislature, "SCR242," accessed March 18, 2020
- ↑Hawaii State Legislature, "Recent updates," accessed May 11, 2020
- ↑KHON, "Lawmakers eye taxes, medical marijuana for next legislative session," January 19, 2015
- ↑civilbeat.com, "Legislative Preview 2014: Will Lawmakers Play It Safe in an Election Year?" January 14, 2014
- ↑hawaii247.comm "Legislature passes state 2014-2015 budget," April 29, 2014
- ↑Hawaii News Now, " Lawmakers set stage for legislative session," January 15, 2013
- ↑Hawaii Reporter, "Hawaii State Senate Majority Caucus Sets its Priorities for the 2012 Legislative Session," January 17, 2012
- ↑10.010.110.2National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "2025 Legislator Compensation," December 2, 2025
- ↑Legislative Reference Bureau, "Hawaii Constitution, Article III, Section 4," accessed November 1, 2021
- ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "Special Sessions," May 6, 2009
- ↑15.015.115.215.3All About Redistricting, "Hawaii," accessed April 29, 2015
- ↑State of Hawaii, "Regular Meeting of the Reapportionment Commission - January 28, 2022," accessed February 4, 2022
- ↑Patch.com, "The Plan To Redraw Hawaii's Political Lines Goes Out For Public Comment," Oct. 29, 2021
- ↑Honolulu Civil Beat, "The Big Island Is Set To Gain A House Seat As Reapportionment Restarts," Jan. 6, 2021
- ↑Office of Elections, "Reapportionment Commission," accessed Oct. 20, 2021
