Key Hawaiʻi House committees approve minimum wage increase, earned income credit

Two key House committees gave preliminary approval this morning to a modest increase in the state’s minimum wage along with a package of tax credits designed to help working families in Hawaiʻi, but critics say the bump in the minimum wage won’t do nearly enough to help the people who need it most.

House Bill 2541 would increase the minimum wage from $10.10 an hour today to $11 on Jan. 1, and continue to increase the minimum in small steps until it reaches $13 an hour on Jan. 1, 2024.

The measure would also create a refundable earned income tax credit for working families, and would increase the state’s food/excise tax credit to $150 per person for families that earn less than $30,000 per year.