Community urges Gov. Ige to sign nation’s first $18 minimum wage law, improve major tax credit

HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — Community members, leaders and advocates are calling on Governor David Ige to sign House Bill 2510, which would incrementally increase the minimum wage to $18 by 2028 and improve an important tax credit for lower-income families.

“This bill would help my family because we could use it to pay for our rent, food, and other necessities,” said Jhoe Rosales, who currently makes the state minimum wage, $10.10/hour.

If House Bill 2510 is signed, Hawaiʻi would become the first state to adopt a path to an $18 minimum wage, according to the National Employment Law Project.

“Thank you to the legislators who championed these priorities, voted to support working families, and made Hawaiʻi a leader in the fight for fair wages,” said Gavin Thornton, executive director of Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice. “This bill provides desperately needed relief for tens of thousands of families. Although it doesn’t create a truly living wage, it gets us much closer than we are now.”

House Bill 2510 also improves the state Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by making it permanent—it otherwise would have expired this year—and allowing the lowest-income families to receive its full benefit.

“The EITC is a proven tool for reducing poverty and boosting the entire community and economy,” said Deborah Zysman, executive director of Hawaiʻi Children’s Action Network Speaks! “Hundreds of thousands of families are struggling to afford basic needs, and by giving those families a bigger tax refund, this bill will help them make ends meet. It’s also a step toward making our tax system more fair and closing racial inequities.”

Community members are urging Ige to sign the bill without delay.

“When I became the sole breadwinner of our household, it became very stressful and overwhelming to cover our monthly expenses,” said Chassidy Kruse, a mother and recipient of the Earned Income Tax Credit. “This bill will help families like mine continue to take care of our needs.”

Jhoe Rosales, Chassidy Kruse, and members of the Raise Up Hawaiʻi and Hawaiʻi Tax Fairness coalitions are available for media interviews.

Raise Up Hawaiʻi advocates to raise the minimum wage in Hawaiʻi to a level that will sustain all of Hawaiʻi’s working residents.

Hawaiʻi Tax Fairness is a coalition of organizations that endorse the principle that for many Hawaiʻi families, the key to self-sufficiency is letting them keep more of what they earn by creating a more equitable tax system.