This article was originally published in Honolulu Civil Beat.
Parents, lawmakers and county leaders across Hawaiʻihave made a recurring request to the education department in recent years: open up school playgrounds and fields for the public when classes aren’t in session.
The ask seemed to be gaining traction at the start of this year, with lawmakers introducing multiple proposals to require the Department of Education to make recreational facilities available to communities. Halfway through the session, however, the Legislature is moving in the opposite direction with a bill to crack down on school trespassing that may also criminalize parents…