Why does Hawaiʻi have a GET?
The General Excise Tax. We all know it, we all complain about it, especially the way it stacks up in transaction after transaction, raising prices. But there was a time when it didn't exist at all. Here's a look at who created it, when, and, most importantly, why.
Lighting the way to safer streets in Waipahu and ʻEwa
Residents in these Leeward neighborhoods are about to make their bus stops and crosswalks safer in a project led by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, aided with federal grant money.
Mom-and-pop stores losing EBT customers struggle to survive
It’s not only making it harder for families to put food on their tables. It’s also affecting people’s livelihoods.
Possible recession, federal cuts could have outsize effect on low-income households
A new budget report from the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center sheds light on the difficulties our state may face in funding critical services as federal dollars dry up and a recession hits.
Housing: Lawmakers fund more housing, not special treatment for locals
Housing advocates unsuccessfully pushed for bills that would have given cash incentives for deed restrictions that require a property owner to be a resident working in the state.
State passes a bill to expand free school meal access
The bill, SB1300, will go into effect with the upcoming 2025-26 school year and will cover students whose family income is not more than 300 percent of the federal poverty level.
Hawaiʻi lawmakers plan special sessions to address federal funding cuts
State lawmakers are blocking off three dates in the coming months for a special legislative session to address federal funding cuts.
Hawaiʻi could raise its capital gains tax to 9%
Lawmakers are considering increasing the capital gains tax from about 7–9 percent.
State is scrambling to fix SNAP food program following $11M fine for errors
Hawaiʻi hopes the federal government will waive half of the penalty if the state invests more than $5 million in new technology.
Lawmakers should leverage tax credits to preserve Hawaiʻi’s working class
Almost half of the population cannot pay their bills on time while also saving money for emergencies.
New policy brief proposes targeted tax relief for struggling Hawaiʻi families
As local families continue to leave Hawaiʻi due to the high cost of living, Hawaiʻi Appleseed stresses the urgency for additional legislative action to help those at risk of homelessness.
The price of hunger: Navigating the cost burden of free meals for Hawaiʻi students
Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s “Equity on the Menu” shows a cost estimate of $26 million per year. This would be 1.2 percent of the Hawaiʻi DOE’s overall annual budget, set this year at just over $2 billion.
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.
Current state of wealth taxes in America
This article explores the various kinds of wealth taxes, the history of wealth taxes in the United States, the most notable positions in the current wealth tax debate, recent proposals for wealth taxes at the federal level and the prospects of those proposals being implemented, and a state-by-state breakdown of current and proposed state wealth tax measures.
Mayor Blangiardi announces new Deputy Director at the Office of Economic Revitalization
Mayor Rick Blangiardi announced on Thursday the appointment of Gavin Thornton as the new Deputy Director of the City and County of Honolulu’s Office of Economic Revitalization (OER).
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.
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.
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.
Lawmakers give final approval to a ‘historic’ income tax cut in long day of voting
The tax bill along with nearly 200 other measures now go to Gov. Josh Green for his consideration.
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.