Wage measures still alive
A bill in the state House of Representatives that would increase the minimum wage cleared a committee hurdle Tuesday.
Hawaiʻi minimum wage bill advances despite criticisms
Worker advocates called for a faster increase to $18 an hour consistent with a bill passed in January by the full Senate in a 24–1 vote.
An $18 minimum wage won’t raise prices dramatically
But a living wage increase will go a long way toward providing financial stability for many in Hawaiʻi.
As bill to raise minimum wage to $18 moves forward, some say hike could hurt businesses
According to a report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition, a minimum wage worker in Hawaiʻi would have to work 114 hours just to afford an apartment.
Hawaiʻi legislature 2022: smart spending could help big problems
The legislature has money available for almost any policy initiative imaginable, and every member of the house and senate is up for reelection.
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.
Amid inflation fears, Hawaiʻi business owners and consumers brace for rising prices
Consumer prices nationwide reached their highest levels in a decade last month, potentially impacting local businesses and consumers.
Hawaiʻi Budget and Policy Center director Beth Giesting’s economic update
The pandemic’s effect on the state economy: Hawaiʻi’s housing crisis, and its role as a social determinant of health; and key takeaways from the state budget.
Hawaiʻi advocates for ALICE communities
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, 59 percent of Hawaiʻi households now struggle to afford adequate housing and access to healthy food.
Hawaiʻi reimposes job hunts as a requirement for unemployment insurance
More than 100,000 Hawaiʻi residents will be affected by the new mandate, officials said Thursday.
This new federal program is expected to help hundreds of thousands of Hawaiʻi kids
The credit is expected to particularly help people who work in service industries such as cashiers, cooks, child care and food prep workers, and janitors.
A cautious legislature, locked in the capitol, played it safe
Critics hoped the pandemic would be the catalyst for significant changes to address longterm problems facing Hawaiʻi. But the budget shortfall dominated the 2021 session.
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.
Economic recovery should focus on working families
And Hawaiʻi’s lawmakers should pass legislation that supports workers’ well-being.
Legislature considers increasing minimum wage amid pandemic
Advocates argue that raising the minimum wage will not only help workers make ends meet, but also stimulate the local economy.
$12 minimum wage hike clears key Senate committees
In recent years there’s been increasing support from the state’s leading lawmakers and Democratic Party to pay workers a living wage, but the gap between that figure and what lawmakers have been willing to pass remains wide.
Minimum wage hike up to timing
Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living, makes a minimum wage increase vital for low-income workers, including many who have been on the pandemic’s front lines.
Hawaiʻi legislators could boost minimum wage to $12 next year
A bill to raise Hawaiʻi’s minimum wage to $12 passed unanimously out of its first committee Monday, with more than 180 individuals and groups testifying in favor, most saying it should be much higher.
Furloughs: Legislative leadership is sorely lacking
With a little bit of courage and a touch of creativity, legislative leaders could rally their majorities and find the funds needed to protect these workers and the valuable services they provide.
Furloughs likely to worsen delays of unemployment, Medicaid and SNAP claims
Governor Ige’s plan to furlough state workers could further increase the already-maddening length of time it takes to process critical services like unemployment.