Senator Samantha DeCorte Member Feed

Honolulu Civil Beat News Stories

Samantha DeCorte Archives
https://www.civilbeat.org/dd-legislators/samantha-decorte-187633/

That Dark Cloud Over The Legislature? This Bill Would Make It Even Darker
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/03/that-dark-cloud-over-the-legislature-this-bill-would-make-it-even-darker/

Hawai?i Income Tax Cuts: Lawmakers Chip Away At Promised Savings
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/03/hawaii-income-tax-cuts-lawmakers-chip-away-at-promised-savings/

Hawai?i Lawmakers Should Look To New Orleans For Education Models
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/03/hawai%CA%BBi-lawmakers-should-look-to-new-orleans-for-education-models/

Is Now The Time For Reforming Hawai?i Schools?
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/02/is-now-time-reforming-hawaii-schools/

The Sunshine Blog: If The Iceman Commeth, He Better Drop That Mask
https://www.civilbeat.org/2026/02/the-sunshine-blog-if-the-iceman-commeth-he-better-drop-that-mask/

Bill Would Turn Kids Into Published Authors At Kalihi Schools

Honolulu Star-Advertiser News Stories

Future of Hawaii tax breaks cloudy as House and Senate trade bills
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/03/15/hawaii-news/future-of-hawaii-tax-breaks-cloudy-as-house-and-senate-trade-bills/

Health Department records 4th Hawaii dengue case this year
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/03/27/breaking-news/health-department-records-4th-hawaii-dengue-case-this-year/

Ostrowski sets record in 100 backstroke
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/03/28/sports/hawaii-beat/ostrowski-sets-record-in-100-backstroke/

Lawmaker flags risks in newly released Trump documents records
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/03/25/breaking-news/lawmaker-flags-risks-in-newly-released-trump-documents-records/

10M grill brushes recalled after injury reports
https://www.staradvertiser.com/2026/03/25/breaking-news/long-lines-reported-at-major-airports-as-more-tsa-officers-quit/

Long lines reported at major airports as more TSA officers quit

Hawaii News Now News Stories

Annual Waianae Coast drill simulates emergency evacuation through Kolekole Pass
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/03/04/annual-waianae-coast-drill-simulates-emergency-evacuation-through-kolekole-pass/

State senator decries fine for video violating campaign law
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2025/12/07/state-senator-decries-fine-video-violating-campaign-law/

New luau spearheaded by Hawaiian Council debuts at Ko Olina
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/02/28/new-luau-spearheaded-by-hawaiian-council-debuts-ko-olina/

State will pay $8 million for special education neglect
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/02/21/state-will-pay-8-million-special-education-neglect/

UH Athletics seeks funding to compete in NIL era
https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2026/01/30/uh-athletics-seeks-funding-compete-nil-era/

KHON2 News Stories

Lawmakers question DOE supplemental budget, say all state departments need to ‘tighten their belts’
https://www.khon2.com/hawaiilegislature/lawmakers-question-doe-supplemental-budget/

Hawai?i State Legislature officially opens for 2026 session
https://www.khon2.com/hawaiilegislature/hawai%ca%bbi-state-legislature-officially-opens-for-2026-session/

‘We were blown away’: Powerful winds leave widespread damage in Makaha
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/we-were-blown-away-powerful-winds-leave-widespread-damage-in-makaha/

Hawaii’s homeless first point-in-time count being conducted since 2024
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/hawaiis-homeless-first-point-in-time-count-being-conducted-since-2024/

Gunshot, fireworks detection devices being used in Hawaii
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/gunshot-fireworks-detection-devices-being-used-in-hawaii/

Armed officers to provide security at 3 Oahu schools
https://www.khon2.com/local-news/armed-officers-to-provide-security-at-3-oahu-schools/

Waianae Police Station to begin expansion, bringing more police presence to West Side

About Senator Samantha DeCorte

Aloha! I’m Samantha DeCorte, State Senator representing Hawai‘i’s District 22, which includes Ko‘Olina, Nanakuli, Ma‘ili, Wai‘anae, Makaha, and Makua. I’m honored to serve my community in the Hawai‘i State Senate — bringing aloha, strength, and steadfast leadership to every decision I make.

I was born and raised on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, grounded in the deep traditions of my mother’s Miloli‘i fishing village and my father’s North Kohala heritage — roots that have shaped who I am and how I serve. I am a wife and a proud mom of three young men. Faith, family, and service have always guided me, from leading community efforts like clean-ups and food drives to supporting our most vulnerable neighbors.

I am humbled to serve as the Minority Floor Leader in the Hawaii State Senate, where I fight for stronger families, safer communities, and a future where every voice in our district is heard and respected.

Today, I am humbled to call Wai’anae my home. We are rich in culture, resilience and faith, yet for far too long it has been underserved and overlooked. Being part of this community means putting in the work — showing up, taking responsibility, and making sure decisions at the Capitol deliver real results for the people who live here.

I focus on results. That means pushing for real investment in the basics our district depends on — safe roads, working infrastructure, strong schools, and reliable public services. I don’t believe Westside families should have

Hawaii Income Tax Cuts: Lawmakers Chip Away At Promised Savings

House Republican Minority Floor Leader Diamond Garcia called the Democrats’ proposal a “slap in the face” to struggling working families.

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

By Kevin Dayton and Chad Blair | March 11, 2026

Republicans at the State Capitol pounced on Democrats’ plans to defer a huge income tax cut that was promised to state residents in 2024, using prolonged floor debate Tuesday to scold the Democrats for reneging on the original tax cut.

The ruling Democrats shrugged off that criticism and easily mustered the votes they needed to win preliminary approval Tuesday in both the House and Senate for two bills that would water down the original tax-cutting plan.

Democrats pointed out the bills they crafted this year will extend or sweeten tax credits to provide extra benefits to working families, and House Finance Committee Chair Chris Todd said the House proposal will benefit families making $50,000 nearly as much as the original plan would have.

At the halfway mark of the 2026 Hawai?i legislative session, which ends May 8, lawmakers in both the House and Senate are generally following through on their priorities of creating more affordable housing, protecting immigrants, strengthening safety net programs and stimulating economic growth while trying to better safeguard the environment.

Still alive are bills to require counties to allow more housing near designated transit hubs like rail stations and bus corridors, remove masks from law enforcement officers, establish a SNAP application process for inmates nearing release, promote and market local film production and set up a green fee “transparency and accountability” program and dashboard to track spending mandated by last

Annual Waianae Coast drill simulates emergency evacuation through Kolekole Pass

Originally published by Hawaii News Now; click here to read the article on hawaiinewsnow.com.

By HNN Staff | March 3, 2026

Military, city, and state officials simulated an emergency evacuation Tuesday that involved dozens of vehicles using a one-lane road out of the Waianae Coast as part of an annual drill.

The exercise is meant to help residents see their second route out of Waianae, since the only other option is to go south along Farrington Highway.

The route, formerly for those commuting to Central Oahu, starts at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam (JBPHH) Lualualei Annex in Nanakuli, travels through Kolekole Pass crossing the Waianae mountain range, and ends at Schofield Barracks.

The Army is in charge of opening access at Schofield while the Waianae side falls under the Navy’s jurisdiction.

More than 410 vehicles traveled through the pass during the evacuation, said officials.

“We had a tremendous response and flow of traffic through that pass,” said U.S. Army Capt. Sam White.

White said officials are dedicated to having residents practice passing through Kolekole Pass once per year.

“The goal is, today, to give people the opportunity to drive through this in a time that is not an emergency necessarily,” said White. “When the time comes, and they need to transit through it, they’re familiar with it.”

State Sen. Samantha DeCorte, who serves Ko Olina, Nanakuli, Maili, and Waianae, said it’s important for residents to be on the same page.

“Today is a little different because the Department of Transportation did an exercise, something similar like this a few months ago, but today, they opened it up to the members of the Waianae Coast,” said DeCorte. “It’s going to be huge

New luau spearheaded by Hawaiian Council debuts at Ko Olina

Originally published by Hawaii News Now; click here to read the article on hawaiinewsnow.com.

By Ben Gutierrez | February 27, 2026

The Kaula Luau, which was created and led by Native Hawaiian artists, had its opening night Friday at a new venue at Ko Olina.

“Every part of it is led by Native Hawaiians, from the storyline to the economic portions of it. The caterer is Native Hawaiian,” said Kuhio Lewis, the CEO of the Hawaiian Council. “So this is really the fabric of the Hawaiian community coming forward to say, hey, here we are. Here’s what we can bring to the table.”

The Hawaiian Council produced the show in a partnership with Ko Olina. The council says it’s a $5 million investment, including what it says is considerable financial support from Ko Olina.

That includes the new performance space for the show, called “Ocean’s Edge at Ko Olina,” which can help up to 500 people.

“It’s kind of unheard of in the industry to have a developer work so closely with an organization of the size and magnitude -- or a Native Hawaiian organization of the size of the Hawaiian Council,” said Sweetie Nelson, the Destination Marketing Director for Ko Olina.

“It’s really just trying to make things happen for our community,” said Lewis. “This is employing 146 people, primarily all from the west side, and it’s a chance to help this community out.”

Lewis said most of the cast came from the Paradise Cove Luau, which closed at the end of December after 47 years.

The economic benefits were not lost of the area’s elected officials.

“This is job stimulation,” said state Sen. Samantha DeCorte. “This helps to provide the economic development that we need here on the Waianae Coast. Majority of the co-workers here, the workers here, are

Is Now The Time For Reforming Hawaii Schools?

A controversial bill would cut top superintendent positions from the DOE and increase community input in schools. Some families say the change is long overdue.

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

By Megan Tagami | February 25, 2026

From where the leaders of the Senate Education Committee sit, one thing seems clear: The Hawai‘i public school system is broken.

“Talk to the people that are on the ground,” Sen. Samantha DeCorte told heads of the Board of Education and education department during a heated January briefing. “According to my community, you guys are failing.”

Lawmakers have become increasingly critical of the DOE since Sen. Donna Kim took charge of the education committee this session. At the January hearing, lawmakers berated the school leaders for millions in school construction funding that remained unspent. In recent months, senators have grilled the department on poor student literacy rates and failure to properly report millions in travel expenses.

The rising animosity between lawmakers and school leaders has drawn criticism from union leaders and taken some political observers by surprise. But lawmakers’ belief that schools aren’t meeting students’ needs seems to be striking a chord with their communities. An Instagram post by DeCorte asking “Is DOE failing?” sparked thousands of comments and gained more than 20,000 likes from frustrated teachers, parents and the general public.

Now, lawmakers are proposing a dramatic — but unlikely — reform of the education department. Senate Bill 3334 aims to reshape the DOE by overhauling its current leadership structure and giving more power to school-level committees responsible for soliciting feedback from families and community members.

The

State will pay $8 million for special education neglect

Originally published by Hawaii News Now; click here to read the article on hawaiinewsnow.com.

By Daryl Huff | February 20, 2026

Hawaii taxpayers will pay $8 million to provide lifetime care for a severely autistic student after her family spent 17 years fighting the state Department of Education for adequate special education support.

The settlement will cover lifetime mental health, rehabilitation, and housing support for the student, now 21 years old. Her mother advocated for her without assistance from the beginning, when the student was four years old.

Settlement ends DOE responsibility without lawsuit

Attorney Eric Seitz helped negotiate the settlement, which ended the DOE’s responsibility without a federal lawsuit.

“I have not seen a settlement quite this large,” Seitz said. “I think that basically attests to the fact that this child suffered and did not get — and was denied the opportunity to get — the services that would enable her to progress.”

Seitz said the student’s mother repeatedly appealed denials and won.

“She got very favorable orders from administrative judges and other people,” Seitz said. “The DOE just simply didn’t carry them out.”

The attorney general’s summary of the case states that the DOE failed to follow the hearings officer’s orders and could have faced more serious damages in a federal lawsuit.

“The figure could have been much, much higher,” Seitz said. “$8 million is the minimum that we thought is necessary to be able to invest to ensure that she has a stream of income to pay for what she needs.”

Settlement included in annual claims list for legislature

The settlement is included in the annual list of claims against the state for the