Governor Josh Green, M.D.

STATE OF HAWAIʻI
KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI
 
JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR
KE KIAʻĀINA
 

GOVERNOR GREEN ORDERS FLAGS LOWERED TO HONOR THE LIFE
AND SERVICE OF FORMER U.S. REPRESENTATIVE AND
HAWAIʻI SENATE PRESIDENT COLLEEN HANABUSA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 6, 2026

HONOLULU — Governor Josh Green has ordered that the United States flag and the Hawaiʻi state flag be flown at half-staff at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol, all state offices and agencies, and all Hawaiʻi National Guard facilities in honor of former U.S. Representative and Hawaiʻi Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, who passed away on March 5, 2026. Flags shall be lowered to half staff immediately, until sunrise on Monday, March 9, 2026.

Born and raised in Waiʻanae, Colleen Wakako Hanabusa was a proud daughter of the Leeward Coast, whose life was dedicated to public service and advocacy for the people of Hawaiʻi. A graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees before receiving her law degree from the William S. Richardson School of Law. She went on to build a respected career as a labor attorney before entering public office.

Hanabusa served the people of the Waiʻanae Coast and Leeward Oʻahu as a member of the Hawaiʻi State Senate from 1999 to 2010, where she rose to become Senate Majority Leader and later the first woman to serve as President of the Hawaiʻi State Senate. She later represented Hawaiʻi’s First Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015 and again from 2016 to 2019. Throughout her career, she was widely recognized as a fierce advocate for Hawaiʻi’s working families, Native Hawaiian communities and the people of the Pacific.

After her time in Congress, Hanabusa continued her service to the state, including leadership roles with the Honolulu Authority for Rapid Transportation board and ongoing work in the legal community.

“Jaime and I extend our deepest aloha and sympathy to the Hanabusa ʻohana and to all who loved Colleen,” said Governor Green. “Colleen Hanabusa dedicated her life to serving the people of Hawaiʻi — from the Waiʻanae Coast she proudly called home, to the halls of the Hawaiʻi State Capitol and the United States Congress. She broke barriers as the first woman to serve as President of the Hawaiʻi State Senate and spent decades advocating for her community with strength, determination and heart. Her legacy of leadership and public service will continue to inspire generations to come.”

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