Senator Stanley Chang Member Feed

The Sunshine Blog: If The Iceman Commeth, He Better Drop That Mask

Short takes, outtakes, our takes and other stuff you should know about public information, government accountability and ethical leadership in Hawai‘i.

Originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat; click here to read the column on civilbeat.org.

By The Sunshine Blog | February 18, 2026

I’ve just seen a face: One of the first bills to pass the state Senate and move to the House this session comes in response to the brutal federal immigration crackdowns that have drawn national ire in Minneapolis, Los Angeles and other “blue” locales. Senate Bill 2203 would prohibit anonymous policing for all levels of government but with important exceptions.

One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Sen. Karl Rhoads, took to the Senate floor Tuesday to explain that those exceptions include when undercover work is involved, when protective gear for various hazards is used, and for cops riding motorcycles. It also allows masks in law enforcement situations as long as at least one officer shows his or her face.

“Events on the continent have focused attention on law enforcement practices, and we’d like to avoid the abuses that have been seen on the contiguous 48, and this bill will help,” said Rhoads.

All 22 of Rhoads’ Democratic colleagues voted in favor of SB 2203, including its primary author, Stanley Chang. But the three Republicans — Brenton Awa, Samantha DeCorte and Kurt Fevella — opposed the measure. And some of the only testimony in opposition came from the Honolulu Police Department.

If the House moves as smoothly and expeditiously on SB 2303 as did the Senate, the anti-mask measure (one of nine that were introduced this session) could be one of the first bills to make it to Gov. Josh Green’s desk for his expected signature. Cue photo op in the Capitol’s fifth

Amendment to bill could resume HCDA's 99-year leasehold project in Kakaako

Originally published by Pacific Business News; click here to read the article on bizjournals.com/pacific.

By Nichole Villegas | February 11, 2026

At the beginning of last year, the Hawaii Community Development Authority acquired two plots of land in Kakaako at the corner of Ward Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard for the development of a mixed use and mixed-income residential building with units for sale under a 99-year ground lease. But the project was put on pause a few months ago due to economic concerns within the housing market including the amount of buyer interest.

However, Senate Bill 2061, introduced this legislative session by Sen. Stanley Chang, would remove or modify the restrictions attached to the leasehold in hopes of making the units more feasible and marketable to buyers, HCDA Executive Director Craig Nakamoto told PBN.

The two properties owned by HCDA are currently home to a Jack in the Box, located at 875 Kapiolani Blvd., and the Galiher Office Building at 610 Ward Ave., which has a mural of former President Barack Obama painted on side of the building.

The land, totaling 26,626 square feet, was acquired in January 2025 as a pilot for the HCDA’s first 99-year leasehold program under which affordable and market condominium units on state-owned and county-owned land in urban redevelopment sites would be sold to qualified residents under the leasehold.

“It's kind of another tool in the toolbox to try to address the shortage of housing, especially workforce housing,” Nakamoto said. “If this works in Kakaako, it could be a tool that we could use in other parts of the island.”

The leasehold program was introduced and passed through SB865, introduced by Chang in 2023, which also appropriated $1.5 million to HCDA for the pre-development work

State lawmakers weigh public funding for Michelin restaurant guide in Hawaii

Originally published by Pacific Business News; click here to read the article on bizjournals.com/pacific.

By Virginia Noone | February 9, 2026

The state is considering a proposal to spend state money to pay for the creation of a Michelin Guide covering Hawaii restaurants in an effort to boost tourism.

Senate Bill 2072 proposes funding from the state's general fund go toward Michelin — the organization that awards Michelin stars — to evaluate Hawaii restaurants and publish an official guide. A Michelin Guide would give restaurateurs in Hawaii a chance to earn a coveted Michelin star rating.

The Michelin Guide, owned by the French tire manufacturer, is the world’s most widely recognized authority on fine dining. Michelin Guides are usually created only when a government or tourism authority pays for the guide to exist in that region. The creation of a guide is often done as a strategy to increase tourism.

It’s unclear exactly how much bringing a Michelin Guide to Hawaii would cost — other states have paid varying sums, as there does not seem to be a standard price.

In Florida, which received its first round of Michelin stars in 2022, the state’s guide was funded with more than $1.5 million from state and city tourism budgets, according to an investigation by The Miami Herald.

In Atlanta, the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau paid as much as $1 million to bring the Michelin Guide to town, as reported by the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

According to Hawaii’s SB 2072, the money would come from state general revenues. The bill leaves the dollar amount blank, which is common in early versions of bills. The actual amount would be decided later during the budget process.

The funds would be handled by the Department of Business,

Hawaii Senators Take Aim At Developers With Vienna-Style Housing Crackdown

Originally published by Hoodline; click here to read the article on hoodline.com.

By Erin Collins | February 4, 2026

Developers using public funds to build affordable rentals may soon be required to reinvest extra profits into new housing rather than keeping the earnings, under SB2194, a proposal described as inspired by the "Vienna model." Advanced on Tuesday by the Senate Committee on Housing, the bill aims to tighten eligibility for the state’s Rental Housing Revolving Fund, ensuring that the funds continually support the creation of additional affordable units instead of being diverted as developer profits.

Committee moves bill toward second reading

The Senate Committee on Housing voted unanimously to recommend SB2194 for second reading, with Chair Sen. Stanley Chang joined by Sens. Troy Hashimoto, Brandon Elefante and Karl Rhoads. Chang cast the measure as a way to stop developers from walking away with a "windfall profit" instead of using public support to build more units, according to Maui Now.

What the bill would change

SB2194 would restrict eligibility for Rental Housing Revolving Fund awards to government agencies or organizations that are legally obligated to reinvest any financial surplus, aside from development fees, back into housing construction. The bill's findings cite the state's 2006 purchase of Kukui Gardens for $132.5 million as a touchstone example and note that roughly 15,000 affordability restrictions across the islands are set to expire by 2100, according to the bill text on LegiScan.

Why supporters invoke the Vienna model

The "Vienna model" centers on limited-profit housing associations that can generate a surplus but must funnel those funds into building or preserving more

Hawaii lawmakers to confront housing affordability, tourism volatility in 2026

Originally published by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser; click here to read the article on staradvertiser.com.

By Allison Schaefers | December 28, 2025

Hawaii’s housing crisis is often described in numbers, but for state Sen. Stanley Chang, it’s personal.

His father, an immigrant from China, bought a home on one state salary. Today, Chang says, it would take him 40 years of his full salary to buy that same house — a stark example of the generational pressures reshaping Hawaii.

Those pressures are mounting as the state faces a predicted mild recession next year, and as Hawaii lawmakers head into the 2026 legislative session to confront housing affordability, tourism volatility and shifting job markets.

More than a decade after the University of Hawaii Economic Research Organization urged investment in economic security, health care, pensions and children, its latest report shows that Hawaii’s elder population is growing faster than expected. By 2035, 1 in 4 residents will be 65 or older, and by 2050 the gap between what seniors consume and what they earn is projected to nearly double.

A key finding is that the number residents 75 and older — “super seniors” who require far more medical and long-term care — is growing significantly, said UHERO professor emeritus Andrew Mason, who authored the report “Aging and Hawaii’s Generational Economy,” along with Michael Abrigo, a research fellow at the Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

Hawaii, Mason warned, is not prepared. Aging creates “pressure across generations,” with fewer workers supporting more seniors and fewer children.

Mason described the interdependence between generations as a “whole system of shifting resources” that is “very

Is Senator’s Affordable Housing Plan Happening? Depends Who You Ask

State authority says market conditions and project requirements put Aloha Homes on the shelf. Sen. Stanley Chang says the Kaka?ako development remains underway.

Originally published by Honolulu Civil Beat; click here to read the article on civilbeat.org.

By Jeremy Hay | December 23, 2025

The Jack in the Box at a busy street corner in Kaka?ako displays no hint of state Sen. Stanley Chang’s aspirations to tackle Hawai?i’s housing crunch.

Until the end of September, the state-owned property the fast food restaurant occupies at Ward Avenue and Kapi?olani Boulevard on O?ahu was clearly a testing ground for a concept Chang has long argued could transform the state’s beleaguered housing landscape.

A constricted housing supply and sky-high real estate prices are blamed for contributing to Hawai?i’s steep cost of living, for driving locals to find cheaper housing elsewhere, and as a factor in high rates of homelessness.

Chang has pushed his Aloha Homes idea as a solution since at least 2018 — attracting some national attention for it along the way — saying it was a way to develop housing faster, less expensively and more efficiently.

The Jack in the Box property seemed to indicate his idea had gained traction. Now that’s uncertain.

Aloha Homes — for Affordable, Locally Owned Homes for All — is modeled on Singapore’s system of government-run public housing, home to about 80% of that island nation’s population. In Chang’s version, Hawai?i residents, regardless of income, could buy condominiums at below market prices with leasehold terms, under which the properties would revert to government ownership after 99 years.

Development costs would be recouped through unit sales, making projects “revenue neutral” so funds could be plowed into new projects, Chang

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Hawai‘i tightens moped safety regulations

Originally published by KHON2; click here to read the article on khon2.com.

By Keila Kamoku | September 16, 2025 | Updated September 16, 2025

A new law is changing the rules for moped riders in Hawai‘i.

Sen. Stanley Chang (D – Hawai‘i Kai, Kuli‘ou‘ou, Niu, ‘Aina Haina, Wai‘alae-Kahala, Diamond Head, Kaimuki, Kapahulu) announced that Senate Bill 30 is now Act 222, bringing safety back to the roads.

Effective on June 25, anyone driving a moped must wear a helmet, and riders must be at least 16 years old.

“In Hawai?i, we’ve seen far too many lives lost or forever changed by preventable moped accidents,” Sen. Chang explained.

Given that mopeds are involved in many of these accidents, city officials hope the new law will help prevent serious brain injuries and save lives.

“With this new law, we’re putting commonsense measures in place. These changes are proven to reduce serious injuries and fatalities. I deeply appreciate Gov. Green’s leadership and the many advocates who made this possible,” he added.

Under Act 222, anyone under 16 is not allowed to operate a moped.

State officials said riders who break the law can be ticketed.

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