PHOCUSED Hawaii

How Hawaii’s hardworking undocumented immigrants support our economy and communities — Hawaiʻi Appleseed A new report from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy lifts up the significant tax contributions that undocumented immigrants make to our federal, state and local governments through the taxes they pay each year.

“But critics say that relaxing the estate tax would benefit only Hawai‘i’s wealthiest residents while costing the state some $43.3 million per year in lost revenue.

“Gavin Thornton, executive director of the Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice, told lawmakers the measure would only benefit the wealthiest 0.2% of Hawai‘i residents.

“‘We cannot afford to provide a $43 million tax break at a time of such great need for our broader community: Maui wildfire relief; hazard pay for state workers; and numerous other services and supports for Hawai‘i’s people,’ Thornton said in written testimony.

“Senate Bill 3289 sparked a heated debate on the House floor on Friday, with a dozen Democrats voting against the bill and other lawmakers expressing reservations about the measure. Rep. Burt Kobayashi, a member of the Finance Committee, urged his colleagues to reject the bill.

“‘I’ve decided that this bill puts you on the side of either for the people, or for the very wealthy, and by very wealthy I mean couples that have an estate exceeding $11 million, which are very, very few,’ Kobayashi said.

“He said the state and the community have no guarantee that granting the tax break to some of Hawai‘i’s wealthiest families will result in any benefit to anyone else.

“The measure is scheduled for another floor vote on Tuesday, but it is not certain that the House will again vote to approve it.”

Tell your lawmakers to reject estate tax giveaways for the rich at bit.ly/hitaxfairness

Dayton, Kevin, “The Last Major Tax Bills Still Alive This Session Would Cut Income And Estate Taxes,” Honolulu Civil Beat, April 9, 2024, https://www.civilbeat.org/2024/04/the-last-major-tax-bills-still-alive-this-session-would-cut-income-and-estate-taxes

What Do Estate Tax Cuts For The Wealthy Say About Hawaii’s Priorities? A bill allowing this has already passed through the state Senate with no votes in opposition.

🚨 Submit testimony in SUPPORT of SB2784 by Tues., Feb. 6 at 3 p.m. 🚨

This bill repeals the authority of employers to pay tipped employees less than the minimum wage. The so-called "tip credit" is actually a penalty that renders tipped workers twice as likely to live in poverty.

“Our vision is to promote community safety while focusing on rehabilitation and ensure a successful reintegration back into the community,” he said, acknowledging the challenges of overcrowding in facilities and funding.

Johnson said the system is old and antiquated, and the facilities are designed neither for the current large population nor rehabilitation.

He said he wants to partner with community organizations to break the cycle of generational incarceration.

“We need as many jail diversion programs as possible to stop people from coming to jail and provide the services they need,” he said.

‘Going Home’ summit emphasizes ways the community can help transition inmates back into society Three hundred people gathered in Kona on Wednesday to discuss and analyze the problem of prison recidivism among former inmates.

Maui Strong Fund Maui Strong

Join Hawaiʻi Appleseed, Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations, Hawaii Children's Action Network, Hawaii Public Health Institute and PHOCUSED Hawaii for our annual policy training on Sat., Jan. 7.

Find out more and register here: https://www.policyadvocacytraining.com/

Join us for an info panel on Hawaiʻi state budget & tax policy! This briefing is open to the public + legislators and their staffers, and will be held both in-person and on Zoom.

Featuring: HBPC Director Will White + Hawaiʻi Children's Action Network Speaks' Director of Research and Economic Policy Nicole Woo.

Register: bit.ly/hibudgettaxes

The list of incredible speakers is available in the Eventbrite!

Big Island Now : Finland leaders in Hilo inspire Hawaiʻi with its successful efforts to end homelessness The northern European nation of 5.5 million is successfully eliminating homelessness, a problem that Hawaiʻi County and the Aloha State have been trying to tackle for years.

“The funds will go to programs such as PACT's emergency shelter, new showers, and restroom hygiene trailers at the Hale Mauliola Navigation Center. Medical and wound care for the HONU program and more funding for RYSE—a homeless shelter for young adults and teens.

“The programs must use the extra funding by the end of June 2024.”



https://www.kitv.com/news/local/honolululu-receives-850k-more-in-cares-act-funds-for-homeless-programs/article_0e39d39a-360c-11ed-83ed-67b25aca1ac0.html

Honolululu receives $850k more in CARES Act funds for homeless programs The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD recently received over $850k of re-allocated Emergency CARES Act funds, allowing six Honolulu programs to extend their services by nine months.

Why are we alright with allowing people to fall back into poverty and hunger since the pandemic (supposedly) ended? Are we really going to allow the progress we've made toward ending child poverty (nearly a 50% reduction between 2020 and 2021) evaporate?

Make the permanent! It's good for families, good for keiki (our future) and good for the economy. There's no good reason to let this program end.



https://www.fatherly.com/news/child-tax-credit-survey-financial-families-food

66% Of Child Tax Credit Recipients Struggled To Afford Food After Program Expired A survey from CLASP found that most families are struggling to make it work financially after the Child Tax Credit expired.