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SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — U.S. governors want a seat at the table as international leaders prepare to gather in Scotland at a critical moment for global efforts to reduce fossil fuel emissions and slow the planet’s temperature rise. At least a half dozen state governors — all Democrats — plan to attend parts of the two-week United Nation’s climate change conference in Glasgow, known as COP26. Though states aren’t official parties to talks, governors hold significant sway over the United States’ approach to tackling climate change by setting targets for reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy. Governors slated...

Hawaii’s extraordinary success in curbing the local spread of COVID-19 has left Gov. David Ige with a dilemma unlike any in the nation. To a greater degree than any other governor, it will fall to Ige to eventually reopen the door to new infections when he finally authorizes the restart of the state’s tourism industry.

Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed two new pieces of gun control legislation seven days ago, severely restricting the rights of thousands of travelers entering the state with firearms and imposing potential gun consifactions without due process. Senate Bill 600 effectively raises the minimum age to transport a firearm into the state to the age of 21. This legislation discriminates against lawful, adult Americans who may otherwise travel to the state for the purposes of hunting, target competition, or even relocation. Speaking of relocation, the state of Hawaii plays host to more than 36,000 U.S. service members who currently live and...

Hawaii just became the first state to ban certain sunscreens as a measure to protect the state's essential coral reefs. Hawaii Gov. David Ige signed a bill on Tuesday, July 3, banning the sale of sunscreens containing two chemicals, oxybenzone and octinoxate, believed to harm coral reefs and other marine ecosystems. State lawmakers passed the legislation in early May. Senate Bill 2571 prohibits the sale and distribution of non-prescribed sunscreens on the islands that contain oxybenzone or octinoxate, which can be deadly for coral larvae. The ban will not be applied to medically prescribed sunscreens or makeup that contain oxybenzone...

Hawaii is set to become the first state to ban the sale of sunscreens containing chemicals believed to be harmful to the environment. State lawmakers passed a bill Tuesday that prohibits the sale and distribution of over-the-counter sunscreens containing oxybenzone or octinoxate, two chemicals that have been found to "cause genetic damage to coral and other marine organisms." "These chemicals have also been shown to degrade corals' resiliency and ability to adjust to climate change factors and inhibit recruitment of new corals," the bill reads. The contamination is "constantly refreshed and renewed everyday" by swimmers and beachgoers, according to the...

The Hawaii National Guard's top commander said Friday he told Gov. David Ige that a missile alert was a false alarm two minutes after it went out statewide. But the governor didn't tell the public until 15 minutes later. Maj. Gen. Arthur "Joe" Logan told state lawmakers that he called the governor at 8:09 a.m. Saturday after confirming there was no threat. Rep. Kaniela Ing asked why the governor didn't immediately address the public, but Ige had left the hearing. Gov. Ige's spokeswoman Cindy McMillan said the governor had to track her down to prepare a message. She said the...

Hawaii Democratic Gov. David Ige said Monday that one of the reasons it took so long to inform the public that a ballistic missile alert in the state was in fact a false alarm was because he couldn’t remember his Twitter password. Ige was notified two minutes after the alert was sent to mobile devices across the state, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser, but was unable to send out communications stating the illegitimacy of the original alert for 17 minutes. “I have to confess that I don’t know my Twitter account log-ons and the passwords, so certainly that’s one...

The governor of Hawaii wanted to inform the public that they would not die in a ballistic missile attack — but he forgot his Twitter password. Gov. David Ige said on Sunday that he could not access his Twitter account on the morning of Jan. 13 — while Hawaiians were reeling after receiving the false emergency missile alert on their cell phones. “I have to confess that I don’t know my Twitter account log-ons and the passwords,” Ige said, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “So certainly that’s one of the changes that I’ve made. I’ve been putting that on my...

Insurance companies would not be allowed to discriminate against transgender patients under a bill passed by the Hawaii Legislature. The bill passed Tuesday by the House of Representatives prohibits denying, canceling or limiting coverage based on a person’s gender identity. The bill was already passed by the Senate, so it now goes to Gov. David Ige. Kaleo Ramos, a transgender teacher, says people in Hawaii have been denied coverage for things like mammograms or screenings for prostate cancer because of the gender on their driver’s license. …

Gov. David Ige on Thursday extended an emergency proclamation to deal with Hawaii's homelessness crisis. The extension gives the state and counties more flexibility in how they complete shelters, micro-housing and other projects to address homelessness. [...] Hawaii has the largest rate of homeless people per capita of any state in the nation, with 7,260 homeless people in Hawaii at the latest count. ...

Hawaii’s governor has signed a bill to make his state the first to raise the legal smoking age to 21. The measure aims to prevent adolescents from smoking, buying or possessing both traditional and electronic cigarettes. Gov. David Ige signed it into law Friday. Dozens of local governments have similar bans, including Hawaii County and New York City. “Raising the minimum age as part of our comprehensive tobacco control efforts will help reduce tobacco use among our youth and increase the likelihood that our keiki will grow up tobacco-free,” said Ige, using the Hawaiian word for children. In Hawaii, 86...

A 40-year political career came to a close after Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie lost his bid for a second term in a stunning primary-election defeat by a fellow Democrat and state senator who defied party leadership to challenge the incumbent. A second intraparty fight for U.S. Senate was too close to call. State Sen. David Ige, once seen as an underdog, cruised to a decisive 35 percentage point win in Saturday's primary after being dramatically outspent by Abercrombie, who also had high-profile endorsements including President Barack Obama. Ige said his win "proves that people power can be money power, especially...

HONOLULU (AP) -- In a stunning defeat for an incumbent, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie was unseated by a fellow Democrat in Saturday's primary election, as voters chose state Sen. David Ige as their nominee in one of two marquee races that have divided the party. Abercrombie had tried to hold onto his seat while disgruntled voters turned their allegiance to Ige, who promised to bring a less confrontational political style. Voters rewarded Ige with a decisive victory....

I don’t know who is going to win Saturday’s special Democratic Senate primary between Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. Colleen Hanabusa — and it’s not just because there’s a lot going on in Hawaii right now (an earthquake rattled Hawaii on Thursday, and two tropical storms are on course to hit or come near Hawaii in the next five days). Instead, the polling picture in the Aloha State is a mess. One poll has Hanabusa up by 8 percentage points, and another puts Schatz up 8 points. Why the discrepancy? Hawaii’s diversity has troubled pollsters in the past and looks...

Getting the president’s backing isn’t what it used to be—he looks set to go 0-2 on Saturday, with the two candidates he endorsed in his home state apparently headed for defeat.When Barack Obama vaulted onto the national stage a decade ago, part of his appeal was that he seemed to be from so many places at once. All corners of the country could lay claim to him: He was Hawaiian by birth, Illinoisan by choice, and Kansan by heritage, and he spent his formative years in New York City. He marched through the 2008 primaries by winning in both the...

Hawaii’s Gov. Neil Abercrombie was defeated and U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz was fighting to avoid a similar ousting Saturday after a Democratic primary vote that occurred as the state cleaned up from Tropical Storm Iselle and awaited an incoming hurricane. State Sen. David Ige took a broad lead over Abercrombie from the earliest returns Saturday night, and the incumbent conceded publicly little more than three hours after the polls closed. The Senate contest was a dead heat late into the night; at one point Rep. Colleen Hanabusa and Schatz were separated by a mere 11 votes.

The Republican nominee for governor of Hawaii stepped to the podium at a fundraiser for the state GOP, greeted by cheers and a standing ovation. Duke Aiona is the man who "will win, can win," a state senator insisted as he introduced the nominee. And the 200 donors and supporters in the audience apparently agreed. "I feel so confident right now," Aiona said in a pavilion lit by tiki torches, nestled in a valley on Oahu's North Shore. "This is a statement in and of itself, to have so many people here supporting the Republican Party." It's an odd sentiment...