Youth Ride Free: Building a more connected Hawaiʻi
By removing financial barriers to public transit, Hawaiʻi can empower young people to participate fully in their communities, while easing family costs and supporting climate goals.
Our Census Bureau is understaffed and underfunded—the quality of its data is suffering
Already facing resource shortages, new federal budget cuts call into question the very future of the Census Bureau itself.
Can Hawaiʻi afford to cut the grocery tax?
Any proposal to reduce or remove the GET on food must be paired with a credible plan for replacing the revenue. It’s a challenge, but also an opportunity to build a fairer and more sustainable system.
Proposal to raise transit fares will hurt Oʻahu riders
Increasing transit fares while household budgets are already stretched thin risks pushing out the very riders who rely on TheBus the most while decreasing ridership and revenue.
Hawaiʻi already has the tools to create a locals-only housing market; we just need to use them
Whether buying a first home, renting, or selling within the community, local people should have the advantage. Housing should function as a home—not as a global commodity.
The chilling effect: How federal cuts and immigration crackdowns threaten food security in Hawaiʻi
The mega budget bill that Congress recently passed narrows who can access critical programs like SNAP and Medicaid, while fueling fear and confusion about who can safely apply for assistance in the wake of increased immigration enforcement.
For a healthier, happier Hawaiʻi, transportation spending must prioritize bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure
Investing in the Safe Routes to School fund is a critical step in transforming our transportation system to meet the needs of all residents—pedestrians, cyclists and drivers alike.
Building a better path to success for Hawaiʻiʻs Keiki
Hawaiʻi’s 2025 legislature boosts safe routes to school and student transportation.
Wins for food access and low-income families at the 2025 legislative session
While there’s still more work to be done, this year’s wins have laid the groundwork for a future in which food access is treated as a right, not a privilege.
Reimagining our streets for health, fun and community
HB1260 would support the creation of a Summer Street Pilot Program, designed to temporarily transform car-congested roadways into vibrant spaces for outdoor fun and social interaction.
Expand the state’s e-bike rebate program to improve mobility options
Now is the time for the state to expand the electric bike and moped rebate program to lower household transportation costs, reduce vehicle costs, and increase resident’s physical activity.
Invest in Safe Routes to School to improve pedestrian safety in Hawaiʻi
Federal funding freezes, requirements from the Navahine lawsuit settlement, and worsening traffic and its associated negative impacts—why state lawmakers shouldn't wait to invest in Safe Routes to School.
How Hawaiʻi’s hardworking undocumented immigrants support our economy and communities
A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy lifts up the significant tax contributions that undocumented immigrants make to our federal, state and local governments through the taxes they pay each year.
Jaywalking remains illegal in Hawaiʻi; Freedom to Walk elevates transportation equity discussion
By maintaining the focus on data-driven strategies to address systemic roadway safety issues, we can push for investments in infrastructure that slows vehicle speeds, increases the visibility of pedestrians, and physically separates vehicles and pedestrians.
Hawaiʻi’s capital gains loophole floats the rich as working families struggle to stay above water
In the interest of tax fairness, the State of Hawaiʻi should tax capital gains—income from selling assets such as stocks, bonds, art and real estate—at the same rates as income made from wages, salaries and other compensation for work.
Congress restores eligibility to federal benefits for COFA citizens
President Biden’s recently passed spending bill comes with long-awaited good news for citizens of COFA nations, who are now—once again, after nearly three decades—eligible for federal benefits.
Trickle-down estate tax break bills are bad policy for Hawaiʻi
After decades of evidence, we know “trickle-down” economics is a smokescreen to aid the wealthy in creating preferential tax policies.
Hawaiʻi is even less affordable after the pandemic
How have jobs, wages and costs changed from before the COVID pandemic compared to after? These charts show changes from 2019 to 2022 that have affected livability for Hawaiʻi residents.
Congress considers making the federal Child Tax Credit refundable; Hawaiʻi considers Keiki Credit
H.R. 7024 is a reminder that the Child Tax Credit is a widely popular program with proven anti-poverty benefits.
Decriminalize jaywalking in the 2024 legislative session
Jaywalking laws have failed to reduce pedestrian deaths. It is time to shift resources away from penalizing pedestrians, and redirect resources towards providing infrastructure so that people can safely walk, bike and roll.