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.
More Hawaiʻi residents are going hungry, new statewide report shows
The report was produced at a time when food security was bad in Hawaiʻi. But now, advocates say, it’s even worse.
Honolulu’s early eviction mediation and rental assistance program’s success
The next step is for more opportunities to uplift the statewide efforts advancing housing stability through early intervention and cross-sector collaboration.
Economic prosperity rises from the bottom up
The Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice looks at the recent legislative session's hits and misses in this Community Voice column for Aloha State Daily.
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.
Bill offering displaced tenants protections dies at legislature
The bill’s supporters said one state Senator was responsible for the outcome
Raise sales tax on costly homes, build more rentals
When hard-working locals—from teachers and nurses to waitresses—are struggling to stay housed, it means we have a serious problem.
Hawaiʻi wants to purchase voluntary deed restrictions to preserve more homes for locals
This new approach would help buffer Hawaiʻi homes from speculation and encourage more locals to actively contribute to addressing the Islands’ housing challenges.
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.
Senate bill advances to strip county council approval of state-funded housing projects
A bill to exempt state-financed housing developments from county council approval has passed second reading on the Hawaiʻi Senate floor and advanced to the Ways and Means Committee.
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.
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.