West Oʻahu reps plan to tackle traffic, tech and the cost of living

Addressing cost of living and the disparity between communities has been a challenge for West Oʻahu. As groceries and gas get more expensive, lawmakers offer different ways of addressing these issues.

One of Gates’ biggest goals is to lower the cost of living statewide. He says he will be working with his colleagues to draft legislation backed by the Democratic majority that could include a refundable earned income tax credit.

Will White of Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center said that although taxes may cause people’s eyes to glaze over, it’s a chance to give a bigger tax refund to lower income families.

Hawaiʻi doesn’t have a refundable state earned income tax credit and with tax collections projected to be in the billions this fiscal year, which ends June 30, White says this type of legislation could improve tax equity.

“For folks who are living paycheck to paycheck, those extra couple hundred dollars could make a huge difference for working families,” White said.