This special edition of Insights on PBS Hawai‘i goes beyond the usual prepared talking points and sound bites to bring voters a live, loosely structured conversation with incumbent Mayor Kirk Caldwell, and his leading challengers – Peter Carlisle and Charles Djou.

In this election year, the next topic is Politics and Small Business. Hawai‘i’s small businesses are a mainstay of our local economy. Yet our state is consistently ranked among the lowest in the country for friendliness to small business.

INSIGHTS kicks off Election 2016 coverage with an overview discussion on key local races and the issues driving these races – including the messy Presidential contest, local elections for Mayor and your district’s state representative. Leaders from Hawai‘i’s Democratic and Republican parties, along with political analysts, take a look at what’s at stake.

The Honolulu Zoo lost its accreditation after the Association of Zoos and Aquariums determined that the zoo receives inadequate funding from the City and community partners, and suffers from inconsistent leadership and political wrangling. City leaders vow to turn things around.

A multi-billion dollar deal merging Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries with Florida energy company NextEra Energy is on the table. NextEra Energy says it will provide a more affordable clean energy future for Hawai‘i, but opponents have concerns over how a merger might impact consumers and Hawai‘i’s renewable energy goals.

On July 1st, Honolulu will become the last county in the state to enforce a ban on certain types of plastic bags. The law addresses concerns by environmentalists who maintain that plastic bags clutter and damage our land and ocean.

The state Legislature set a goal of 100% renewable energy by 2045. But weʻre currently the most fossil fuel dependent state in the nation, with billions of dollars of the State’s economy being spent each year on imported fuel.

The last week of the 2015 legislative session included a flurry of final votes on many of the session’s biggest bills, including a $26 billion budget, a commitment to 100 percent renewable energy by 2045, a five-year extension on the rail tax for Honolulu residents, the creation of a statewide medical marijuana dispensary system, […]

Since Hawai‘i approved marijuana for medical treatment 15 years ago, other states have surged ahead with dispensaries, and in some cases, marijuana decriminalization. Advocates are hoping for a statewide dispensary system, and concerned parents and law enforcement fear that medical marijuana could be abused.

There seems to be no end to the rising cost of living in Hawai‘i. The high prices of housing, groceries, gas and other necessities make it more and more difficult for us to live in today’s paradise.