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.

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

Senators moved to raise income taxes on high earners, and the House passed capital gains and inheritance tax increases.

A bill would require landlords to enter mediation upon a tenant’s request, but some advocates say the measure doesn’t do enough to protect renters at risk of eviction.

The allocations of the federal aid money drew criticism from social service agencies while the process of adopting the budget measure, using a method called gut-and-replace, riled others.

This may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to pivot toward the kind of food system we want for Hawaiʻi’s future.

The Working Families Coalition released a plan to distribute $362 million including CARES Act funds to help families with rent, food, healthcare and more.

Job losses have not been linked to past raises. The EITC has not sufficiently offset poverty levels. Nearly half the population barely gets by.

The statistics about how many of Hawaiʻi’s people struggle look worse with each passing year, so plainly the safety net needs reinforcement.

Together, the organizations will jointly pursue policy changes that benefit Hawai‘i’s most vulnerable populations.

Hawaiʻi Appleseed announces the retirement of Victor Geminiani, its co-founder and longtime executive director, after a 50-year public interest law career.

On the last day of conference committee at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature, an all-too-familiar scene played out.

In a state notorious for low voter turnout, a lobbying group has developed a free mobile app to get younger residents more involved in legislative matters.

The Senate Committee on Labor will hold a public hearing today regarding a bill that would increase minimum wage rates throughout the state.

The Senate’s Ways and Means committee passed Senate Bill 789 on Monday, Feb. 25, 2019, setting it up for a final vote on the Senate floor.

In a state that has one of the highest costs of living and lowest unemployment rates, it’s time for lawmakers to put things back in balance for workers.

Two or three jobs are not enough to provide financial stability for many local families. How can we create CHANGE?

Nutrition incentive programs like SNAP help stretch budgets and put good food on tables.

While calls for a crackdown on short-term rentals grow louder, their rapid expansion accounts for a big chunk of the recent growth in the state’s largest industry.

The coalition of state, county, faith-based and social services organizations is setting its priorities for the upcoming legislative session.