Executive Summary

The Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center (HBPC)—a project of Hawaiʻi Appleseed—is pleased to provide this state budget guide for candidates and elected officials in Hawaiʻi. Now more than ever, our elected leaders must understand state spending, where public revenues come from, and how the state budget and tax system affect Hawaiʻi residents. Your decisions will result in policies that lead either to equity and opportunity or increase the burden for those who are already struggling.

The state budget is our most important statement of policy. It is where our collective resources are used to make Hawaiʻi a better place.

The state budget is a statement of our values. It’s where we invest in programs that increase fairness, opportunity and wellbeing for all. It reflects the state’s priorities as it addresses the operational and capital needs of Hawaiʻi’s four branches of government:

• The Executive Branch

• The Judiciary

• The Legislative Branch

• The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA)

The state budget is a plan for spending based on available resources. Besides supporting the ongoing operations of the four branches, the budget usually includes short-term funding for priority needs and grants-in-aid to nongovernmental entities.