Catherine Cruz 9/12/24 Catherine Cruz 9/12/24

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.

Amee Hiʻilawe Neves 9/1/24 Amee Hiʻilawe Neves 9/1/24

Short term rentals, long term issues for Hawaiʻi County

According to an analysis by the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice, one in 24 homes on Hawaiʻi Island are short term rentals – 52% of which are owned by non-Hawaiʻi residents.

Michael Brestovansky 10/31/22 Michael Brestovansky 10/31/22

Report: State law successfully limited evictions during COVID-19 pandemic

A state-mandated free mediation program was a resounding success in preventing evictions during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report.

KITV4 Web Staff 10/14/22 KITV4 Web Staff 10/14/22

Eviction mediation study: KITV4 talks with Kenna StormoGipson with Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice

Local nonprofit Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice just released the results of its study that look at whether Hawaiʻi’s Act 57 mediation program worked.

Sabrina Bodon 4/29/22 Sabrina Bodon 4/29/22

Bill to raise Hawaiʻi's minimum wage to $18 by 2028 passes out of conference committee

With last-minute amendments, a measure seeking to raise the state’s minimum wage passed out of conference committee on Friday.

Blaze Lovell 4/29/22 Blaze Lovell 4/29/22

Hawaiʻi lawmakers finally agree on raising the minimum wage

House Bill 2510 also makes a state earned income tax credit refundable. Meanwhile, many taxpayers could soon get a $300 tax rebate.

Annalisa Burgos 4/27/22 Annalisa Burgos 4/27/22

Friday deadline looms for Hawaiʻi lawmakers to raise minimum wage

Supporters rallied in events across the islands to urge lawmakers to agree on a final version by Friday. If they do not agree on terms, the measure will be killed. The sticking point has been how much the raises will be and how fast they will be implemented.

Marina Starleaf Riker 4/26/22 Marina Starleaf Riker 4/26/22

Thousands of houses are empty on Maui. Would higher taxes change that?

An estimated 15,000 housing units—about 1 in 5 throughout all of Maui County—are vacant, according to 2020 census estimates.

Guthrie Scrimgeour 4/19/22 Guthrie Scrimgeour 4/19/22

Working class tax credit still alive

After taking a long, winding path through the Legislature, a bill making the Earned Income Tax Credit permanent and refundable has made it through both the House and the Senate, though disagreements over amendments mean that the bill will now go before a conference committee.

Guthrie Scrimgeour 3/23/22 Guthrie Scrimgeour 3/23/22

Senate, House clash over Hawaiʻi minimum wage bills

The vast majority of those who testified at Monday’s LCA meeting favored the 2026 date for the increase, with 113 testifying in support of the 2026 date and 11 individuals testifying in support of the 2028 date.

Andrew Gomes 3/23/22 Andrew Gomes 3/23/22

Hawaiʻi lawmakers tussle over one minimum wage bill

A clash of wills and philosophies among state lawmakers over how to raise Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage now appears centered on one bill at the legislature instead of two.

Guthrie Scrimgeour 2/10/22 Guthrie Scrimgeour 2/10/22

State tax bill could have major impact on Kauaʻi

A bill in the state legislature could potentially mean more money in the pockets of working families on Kauaʻi.

Brittany Lyte 12/19/21 Brittany Lyte 12/19/21

Hawaiʻi schools are buying less local food during the pandemic

Despite new legislation requiring public schools to serve student meals with more local ingredients, advocates say they are frustrated by a regression in local food initiatives.

Scott Yunker 12/16/21 Scott Yunker 12/16/21

Raise Up Hawaiʻi demands higher minimum wage

An increased minimum wage would not only put food on families’ tables but put money in their pockets for spending at local businesses.

Anita Hofschneider 10/21/21 Anita Hofschneider 10/21/21

Biden’s spending bill could be a ‘game changer’ for housing in Hawaiʻi

The Build Back Better bill that the U.S. Senate is debating has the potential to make a huge dent in Hawaiʻi’s affordable housing needs, according to advocates.

Will Caron 9/27/21 Will Caron 9/27/21

How the ‘Build Back Better’ plan saves money and lives

The answer lies in an expansion of the strategy that held the line against poverty in 2020 and that helped America out of the Great Depression.

Casey Harlow 8/27/21 Casey Harlow 8/27/21

Fundraising campaign kicks off next week to help fight child hunger

An annual fundraising campaign kicks off next week to help fight child hunger and expand participation in free breakfast programs at public schools.

Sarah Kleiner, Taylor Johnston, Michael Casey 6/29/21 Sarah Kleiner, Taylor Johnston, Michael Casey 6/29/21

Rental assistance fell victim to politics, bureaucracy

Nationwide, state leaders set aside $2.6 billion to prop up struggling renters, but a year later more than 16 percent hasn’t made it to tenants or landlords.

Audrey McAvoy 4/29/21 Audrey McAvoy 4/29/21

Hawaiʻi lawmakers finish session after huge federal aid boost

The pandemic wouldn’t have hurt nearly as much if Hawaiʻi residents were making wages that paid enough to cover their basic needs.

Gavin Thornton, Heather Lusk and Deborah Zysman 4/22/21 Gavin Thornton, Heather Lusk and Deborah Zysman 4/22/21

Lawmakers should pass tax bills to fix our upside-down tax system

Minimum wage earners should not be paying a higher percentage in taxes than those at the top.