Ala Moana Regional Park on Oʻahu’s south shore is a beloved playground for local residents, with access to surfing, swimming, paddleboarding, tennis, walking and picnicking. The city of Honolulu has a master plan to revitalize the park. Not everyone agrees with the plan’s vision.

Statistics show that a little more than half of Hawaiʻi’s workforce is employed by small business owners. But the state gets low marks as a place to do business because of regulations, taxes and start-up costs.

State lawmakers went into this year’s legislative session with bills regarding prison reform, loosening marijuana laws, raising the minimum wage, plastic waste, disaster relief, more money for schools and resolving water rights issues across the state.

Hawaiʻi’s tourist industry is thriving. Last year, nearly 10 million visitors spent almost 18 billion dollars here, according to the Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority. However, many residents complain of beaches and trails being overrun, and of the wear and tear on Hawaiʻi’s infrastructure.

Road construction, highway maintenance, potholes and traffic congestion are all elements said to contribute to Hawaiʻi consistently getting a low or failing grade in nationwide surveys on roads. What can be done about this situation? Join the conversation on Failing the Road Test on the next INSIGHTS ON PBS HAWAI‘I.

The Hawaiʻi Supreme Court oversees licensed attorneys in our state and establishes rules governing duties, fairness, communication, truthfulness and respect. The rules state that in Hawaiʻi a lawyer is “a public citizen having special responsibility for the quality of justice” – and there are consequences for attorneys who violate those rules.

Caring for our keiki is pricey. A recent study says Hawai‘i families pay an average of $700 to nearly $2,000 per month for child care. And that’s if parents can find space at licensed childcare centers – where supply is far short of demand.

The ʻōhiʻa tree, with its companion lehua blossom, is found only in Hawaiʻi, and is the most common of our Islands’ native trees. It is the keystone of the Hawaiʻi forest, critical to the ecology of our watersheds and sacred in Hawaiian culture.

Ka ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, the Hawaiian language, once forbidden in schools and nearly lost, is flourishing again in these Islands. In 1978, it became the official state language along with English. It lives in song, in books, in the daily lives of Hawai‘i residents and in schools dedicated to perpetuating native culture.

What are the biggest issues facing Hawaiʻi’s state lawmakers in 2020? Raising the minimum wage from the current $10.