Lawmakers opened a new session of the Hawaii State Legislature on Wednesday with proposals to provide more tax relief to working families and impose fees on travelers using popular state parks and trails. Lawmakers also vowed to hold hearings on ethics reform bills after two former lawmakers last year pleaded guilty to accepting bribes in office in exchange for influencing legislation. House Speaker Scott Saiki said he favored expanding the earned income tax credit, which he estimated would help about 100,000 working households.
