Rep. Kyle Yamashita is out as State House Finance Committee chair. Like Napoleon before him, will he make a comeback from his political exile and storm his way back into power?

The 2025 Hawaiʻi legislative session ended with an ignominious whimper when it comes to good government reform, or “sunshine,” bills—the last of which died in conference committee the week before this cartoon ran.

A proposed package of pay raises for public servants would be a lot more palatable to voters if lawmakers hadn’t nixed a bill to make the legislature year round and ban side jobs.

Rep. David Alcos claims he didn't know what he was doing when he failed to disclose millions in debt as required by state law. Perhaps, but either way lawmakers in debt have a lot to potentially offer to anyone willing to bail them out, with the right strings attached.