The Most Influential People At The State Capitol Are Out In The Hallway Top lobbyists often have more influence than the lawmakers themselves that pass or reject their bills. By Chad Blair March 8, 2026 · 13 min read About the Author Chad Blair is the pol... See more
Civil Beat Staff
Chad Blair
Chad Blair has been a writer, editor and teacher in Honolulu for more than 35 years. His job as reporter and editor is to cover Hawaiʻi, especially how political decisions impact people and communities.
Chad has worked as a jou... See more
There are risks, but viable resources exist across the state, including on Oʻahu. Hawaiʻi is on the cusp of a multibillion-dollar, decades-long commitment to liquid natural gas, spurred by the Hawaiʻi State Energy Office’s study stating that LNG could off... See more
The lack of a second road for emergencies has long been identified as a public-safety concern. Waikōloa Village on Hawaiʻi Island sits in one of the windiest and driest regions of the state. In the Attorney General and Fire Safety Research Institute’s sec... See more
Lawmakers combine forces to push measures helping women, kids and working families. Rep. Scot Matayoshi has been trying to ban flavored vaping, session after session, with little to show for it. Speaking to local media at the State Capitol late last month... See more
