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.