Why understanding Hawaiʻi’s budget is an important civic duty

We often hear that democracy is not a spectator sport. We’re urged to vote, to contact our legislators, to make our voices heard. But for many, the process of government can feel like a black box—a confusing tangle of bills, hearings and budgetary figures that seems distant from everyday life. How can we effectively participate if we don’t understand the game being played?

That’s why Hawaiʻi Appleseed’s Budget Primer and Policy in Perspective legislative report are not just informative; they are essential resources for civic health. When read together, these documents do more than just report on the legislative session. They perform a critical public service, demystifying the machinery of state government. In plain, easy to understand language, they equip everyday people with the knowledge to see exactly what their government is and is not doing to make their lives better.

In an era of widespread distrust and complex challenges, this kind of clarity is not just helpful—it is fundamental to the survival of a functioning society.

Let’s be practical. What do these documents actually do? The Budget Primer is your decoder ring. It answers the basic but vital questions: Where does the state’s money come from? And where does it go? It breaks down the $23.83 billion state budget into understandable chunks, explaining the difference between operating funds that pay teachers’ salaries, capital funds that repair our roads and other kinds of appropriations.

Crucially, the Budget Primer reveals that our state’s hands are partially tied before the session even begins—with $5 billion in obligated costs for debts and pensions consuming a quarter of the entire operating budget. It also highlights the biggest engine of our revenue, the General Excise Tax, which takes a much larger bite out of a low-income family’s paycheck than a wealthy one’s.

Policy in Perspective is the storybook that uses that decoder ring. It takes the raw numbers from the Primer and animates them with the play by play of the legislative session. It shows us that the fight over a bill like Act 139, which expands free school meals, is a fight about our values. But it also uses the Primer’s framework to explain the limitations. Why, despite overwhelming public support, is the program not yet universal? The money simply isn’t there—in part because of the flawed tax system the Primer outlines.