Ige signs $18 minimum wage increase, tax refund
The bill makes the earned income tax credit permanent and refundable, helping low- to moderate-income workers cut their taxes and potentially increase their tax refund.
Ige signs minimum wage increase, tax rebate bills
Beyond the proven economic benefits, the bills signed into law by Ige will reduce poverty and inequality in Hawaii, improving health outcomes and educational attainment for children in working families.
Gov. Ige signs $18 minimum wage increase by 2028, tax refund
The bill makes the earned income tax credit permanent and refundable, helping low- to moderate-income workers cut their taxes and potentially increase their tax refund.
Ige signs minimum wage increase, tax refund bills into law
The new EITC law permits qualified low- to moderate-income workers to be eligible for a refundable tax credit.
Lawmakers spent big this year to help Hawaiʻi families ‘pushed over the edge’
Despite the investments, advocacy groups say cracks remain in the state’s safety net.
State legislature closes an ambitious session
After two years of COVID-induced budget cuts, the state legislature took advantage of a rebounding economy and federal relief funding to enact an ambitious agenda.
Hawaiʻi legislature passes bill raising minimum wage to $18
The bill also makes the earned income tax credit permanent and refundable, which will help low- to moderate-income workers cut the taxes they owe and potentially increase their tax refund.
$18 minimum wage heading to final vote
After months of back and forth, the state House and Senate reached an agreement on the $18 minimum hourly wage in a conference committee session Friday. The bill also makes the Earned Income Tax Credit permanent and refundable.
EITC aid boosts isle families, economy
As a state, we cannot afford to let a policy like EITC expire. It continues to serve as a vital tool for investing in Hawaiʻi’s working families and a link to strengthening our economy and communities.
Working class tax credit still alive
A bill making the Earned Income Tax Credit permanent and refundable has made it through both the House and the Senate, but disagreements over amendments mean the bill will now go before a conference committee.
Lawmakers are expected to extend the earned income tax credit and make it refundable
House Bill 510 would not only extend the state’s earned income tax credit for another six years—but also make it refundable.
A key tax credit for working class families is about to expire. Some lawmakers want it extended
A new bill proposes to extend the credit for another six years and make it refundable, finally reaching the lowest income families.
Hawaiʻi is spending $417 less on services per child compared to 2005, report says
Over the course of nearly two decades, the state is spending about $400 less per child than in 2005, according to a new report from Hawaiʻi Budget & Policy Center and Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network.
Editorial: Help for Hawaiʻi households
For too many families living in Hawaiʻi, the answer to, “How’re you doing?” is, “Just hanging on.”
How the legislature can help ALICE families
The EITC is far more effective as both a household budget lifeline and as an economic stimulus when it is fully refundable and puts cash directly in the hands of families that need it most.
Legislators consider extending income tax credit for struggling families
Every dollar a tax filer gets from the EITC generates another $1.24 in economic activity. This type of tax refund can act as an economic stimulus for the state.
Working families deserve permanent earned income tax refund
When all working families are able to permanently access the full value of the Earned Income Tax Credit, communities across our state will become stronger and better prepared for the many challenges that lay ahead in the 21st century.
Hawaiʻi legislature 2022: smart spending could help big problems
Those ideas include increasing the very modest food and rent tax credits for low-income families, and creating a refundable state earned income tax credit that would put some additional money in the pockets of working families.
Economic recovery should focus on working families
Hawaiʻi’s lawmakers should pass legislation that supports workers’ well-being.
Dark clouds are looming over Hawaiʻi even as the economy appears to be improving
Economic experts say many people are worse off than they were before the pandemic and a lower unemployment rate is simply masking deeper problems.