Audrey McAvoy 5/4/22 Audrey McAvoy 5/4/22

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.

Guthrie Scrimgeour 5/1/22 Guthrie Scrimgeour 5/1/22

$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.

Blaze Lovell 4/29/22 Blaze Lovell 4/29/22

Hawaiʻi lawmakers finally agree on raising the minimum wage

House Bill 2510 also makes a state earned income tax credit refundable. Meanwhile, many taxpayers could soon get a $300 tax rebate.

Shelee Kimura, Peter Ho & Ray Vara 4/24/22 Shelee Kimura, Peter Ho & Ray Vara 4/24/22

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.

Guthrie Scrimgeour 4/19/22 Guthrie Scrimgeour 4/19/22

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.

Casey Harlow 4/12/22 Casey Harlow 4/12/22

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.

Rick Daysog 4/11/22 Rick Daysog 4/11/22

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.

Casey Harlow 4/11/22 Casey Harlow 4/11/22

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.

Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 4/9/22 Star-Advertiser Editorial Board 4/9/22

Editorial: Help for Hawaiʻi households

For too many families living in Hawaiʻi, the answer to, “How’re you doing?” is, “Just hanging on.”

John Fink 4/6/22 John Fink 4/6/22

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.

Nicole Woo 3/24/22 Nicole Woo 3/24/22

Legislature should prioritize children by investing in their future

If not, we risk relegating some kids to a future of poverty and poor mental and physical health.

Kevin Dayton and Blaze Lovell 3/8/22 Kevin Dayton and Blaze Lovell 3/8/22

House approves minimum wage, Mauna Kea bills after emotional floor debate

As the Legislature nears the halfway mark for this year’s session, measures to provide $600 million for Native Hawaiian housing and increase the capital gains tax also advance.

Kevin Dayton 3/7/22 Kevin Dayton 3/7/22

Capital gains tax increase and a new carbon tax may not make the cut

With all 76 members of the legislature up for reelection, lawmakers are expected to shy away from those potentially controversial tax measures this year.

Guthrie Scrimgeour 2/10/22 Guthrie Scrimgeour 2/10/22

State tax bill could have major impact on Kauaʻi

A bill in the state legislature could potentially mean more money in the pockets of working families on Kauaʻi.

Casey Harlow 2/7/22 Casey Harlow 2/7/22

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.

Nicole Woo & Will White 1/27/22 Nicole Woo & Will White 1/27/22

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.

Kevin Dayton 1/16/22 Kevin Dayton 1/16/22

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.