Keiki Caucus introduces 2025 legislative package
Legislators and advocates identified five top priority issues impacting Hawaiʻi’s youth and families, including tax credits for household and dependent care services, funding for community schools, paid family leave, e-cigarette regulations, and universal free school breakfast and lunches.
Hawaiʻi set to offer nutrition support services to Medicaid patients
Medicaid patients may soon benefit from a five-year federal waiver that allows Hawaiʻi MedQUEST program to use Medicaid dollars to expand services with community-based food and nutrition organizations.
Hawaiʻi is over-dependent on cars. Can the state spend more on alternative transportation?
Between 2019-2024, the Hawaiʻi DOT spent almost two-thirds of its capital improvement budget on projects that increase vehicle transportation, a pattern of spending that leads to more traffic, higher emissions, and fewer options for people who don’t drive.
Hawaiʻi families could face big price hike for school meals
Charging elementary and middle school students $4.75 for lunch would be a huge hit to working families, advocates say.
Hawaiʻi County Council could join call for free school meals statewide
A resolution introduced by the council said that Hawaiʻi Island has the highest rate of food insecurity in the state, but the issue is statewide.
Is Hawaiʻi’s historic investment in affordable housing paying off?
Two years ago, the state made a record investment in affordable rental housing. Results so far are both encouraging and sobering.
Legislators look to support student recovery from the pandemic
Some lawmakers and advocates say schools need more help with funding gaps, especially after federal assistance expired this fall.
How Hawaiʻi could prepare for financial impacts of second Trump term
Working families in Hawaiʻi could end up paying more in taxes if President-elect Donald Trump implements some of his proposed policies, but analysts say there’s a way the state can help.
Our loneliness epidemic reveals America’s failed urban planning
As we consider the multitude of ways to address our nation’s loneliness crisis, we must have serious conversations about how we can better shape our built environment to enable extended networks of care.
Raise your awareness with the Hawaiʻi Budget Primer 2024
The pamphlet’s cover page says that it is written for “Candidates, Elected Officials and Concerned Members of the Public.” Lots of us in the public should be concerned. It’s your money, after all. The work is easy to understand and is a worthwhile reference.
Lawmakers, nonprofit holding virtual forum to educate, engage public in crafting Hawaiʻi’s People’s Budget
On Sunday, state lawmakers will host a virtual forum in partnership with Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice to discuss crafting of a “People’s Budget” for the 2025 legislative session.
State Budget 101: New handbook simplifies process for curious citizens
State Rep. Della Au Belatti and Hawaiʻi Appleseed Deputy Director Will White stop by HPR to invite people curious about the budget to get in on the shortcut to understanding.
A Hawaiʻi state budget for dummies
In case you haven’t noticed, Hawaiʻi’s state budget is a very difficult thing to make sense of unless you’re trained as a forensic accountant. Thankfully, the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center has released a Budget Primer to make things simpler.
Climate disasters are an affordable housing problem
U.S. policymakers need to think about affordable housing as part of their resiliency strategies. The next Lahaina could be a hurricane in the Gulf Coast, a storm in the Northeast or a massive wildfire in California. Having a healthy stock of protected and affordable housing should be part of our cities’ climate emergency plans.
Caring for the community
Kaiser Permanente has a hand in helping Hawaiʻi in many different ways, from responding to the needs of Maui residents to helping nonprofits care for the land.
The gap between median home prices and household income in Hawaiʻi? It’s ‘scary’
Based on Honolulu’s median home price of $1,085,800 and median family income of $120,100, the index said a mortgage requires 73 percent of the median paycheck.
Concerns rise for low-income families over legislature's recent tax cut measure
The cost of the tax cuts concerns some advocates. An analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimated an initial annual revenue loss of $656 million, that balloons to close to $1.5 billion by 2030. That's about 10 percent of the state's total budget.
Hawaiʻi lawmakers spent big on public schools this year
But education advocates said the Legislature did little to address problems such as school bus driver shortages, fire safety and the need for more preschool teachers.
It’s being called Hawaiʻi’s biggest tax break, but some will get more help than others
Although pleased the inheritance tax reduction failed, Hawaiʻi Appleseed was unhappy that the reform bill delivers so much relief to people with the highest incomes.
Repeal jaywalking laws to boost safety
Let’s prioritize safety, equity and community well-being by investing in much-needed pedestrian infrastructure.