A small craft crosses in front of Hilo town on the island of Hawaii
Lorraine Inouye headshot

Lorraine Inouye

Democrat, State Senate
District 1, Hawaiʻi
Time in office:
  • Senate: 1998-2008
  • Senate: 2014-present

    News coverage of Lorraine Inouye

    Bio

    Lorraine Inouye represents Hilo, Pauka‘a, Papaikou and Pepe‘ekeo. She was on the Hawai‘i County Council from 1984 to 1990 and then was Hawaiʻi County mayor from 1990 to 1992. Inouye first served in the state Senate from 1998 to 2008 then was reelected in 2014. She is currently majority whip and chair of the Water and Land Committee. Affordable housing is a top priority for her and her district.

    A graduate of Hilo High School, Inouye is a lifetime member of the the Girl Scouts of America. She has served with the Waimea Outdoor Circle, the Paniolo Preservation Society and the Hawaiʻi Island Chamber of Commerce.

    Leader Badges

    Bill Activity

    0

    Of 47 bills:
    1 Passed
    0 Failed
    46 Pending

    For this session year, this legislator initiated 47 bills: 1 passed, 0 failed, and 46 are currently pending.

    Alignment Meter

    See all-time percentage of this legislator’s alignment with any organization based on total votes.

    xx%votes: xx

    Financials

    This feature tracks sources of money intended to help a candidate win election.

    Election

    This display shows money given directly to the incumbent’s campaign committee (NOTE: The industry categories for donors come from Open Secrets, a nonpartisan research organization for campaign finance. Some contributions are “uncoded,” meaning they have not been assigned to an industry sector. As a result, the total for each sector is also an estimate).

    $1.1K

    Agriculture

    $8.0K

    Candidate Contributions

    $4.5K

    Communications & Electronics

    $2.8K

    Construction

    $8.5K

    Energy & Natural Resources

    $2.4K

    Finance, Insurance & Real Estate

    $11.3K

    General Business

    $8.3K

    Ideology/Single Issue

    $500.0

    Labor

    $18.5K

    Lawyers & Lobbyists

    $2.5K

    Transportation

    $7.8K

    Uncoded

    $56.8K

    Candidate Donations

    Individuals, corporations, organizations and committees are limited to a maximum donation to candidates of $4000 for the Senate and $2000 for the house.

    Total
    $132.8K

    143.0% higher than the average legislators

    Independent Expenditures

    Money from Independent Expenditure Committees (IEC) for advertising or grassroots activity targeting a candidates run for office is unlimited, but it cannot be spent in coordination with the candidate or the candidate's campaign.

    Total
    $723.0

    35.0% higher than the average legislators

    Grand Total for Elections

    $133.5K

    142.0% higher than the average legislators

    This is a total of the money targeting this legislator's campaign(s) including direct donations to the candidate, money spent by Independent Expenditure Committees and money from political parties.


    Influence

    There are two categories of donations to legislators after they are elected that encourage a working relationship between the donor and the legislator. The categories are: 1-Gifts, 2-Travel.

    Giver
    Value
    Date
    Description
    Hawaii State Energy Office$545Jun 20, 2017Registration for VERGE Hawai'i Conference in Hawai'i

    Gifts

    For gifts that are allowed, legislators must file an annual gifts disclosure statement with the Hawai'i State Ethics Commission if they or their spouse or dependent child receive from a single source one or multiple gifts and the whole aggregate value exceeds $200.

    Gift Received Rating
    #3/75

    This legislator is ranked 3rd highest for the amount of personal gifts received.

    Policy

    Bills Authored by Lorraine Inouye

    SCR 148
    STRONGLY SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FLOATING DRYDOCK AT PEARL HARBOR.

    Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs

    In Progress
    STRONGLY SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION OF A FLOATING DRYDOCK AT PEARL HARBOR.Committee: Senate Standing Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs
    View All Bills

    Hearings

    Featured Comments

    Below are links to the video and transcript of recent, substantive comments by this legislator in committee hearings or floor sessions.

    Preview image for SB 10743MIN
    Mar 4, 2025

    SB 1074

    RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS.

    Preview image for SB 107412MIN
    Feb 12, 2025

    SB 1074

    RELATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS.

    Preview image for SB 10862MIN
    Feb 12, 2025

    SB 1086

    RELATING TO IRRIGATION.

    Preview image for SB 12671MIN
    Feb 12, 2025

    SB 1267

    RELATING TO CLIMATE CHANGE.

    Preview image for SB 2241MIN
    Feb 12, 2025

    SB 22

    RELATING TO FISHERIES.

    Preview image for SB 450MIN
    Feb 11, 2025

    SB 4

    RELATING TO THE ROYAL MAUSOLEUM.

    Preview image for SB 10835MIN
    Feb 5, 2025

    SB 1083

    RELATING TO PORT INFRASTRUCTURE.

    Preview image for SB 10841MIN
    Feb 5, 2025

    SB 1084

    RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

    Preview image for SB 156MIN
    Feb 5, 2025

    SB 15

    RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION.

    Preview image for SB 191MIN
    Feb 5, 2025

    SB 19

    RELATING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES.

    View All Hearings

    District

    State Senate District 1

    Previous Election ():

    Census Data

    Median age010203040

    Median age