For $23 million a year, lawmakers could have given our public school Keiki a leg-up on learning with Universal Free School Meals. Instead, they’re offering a $43 million a year tax cut to the richest 0.2% of households in Hawai‘i. What are we doing here?

The measure is scheduled for another floor vote today, 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 #TaxTheRich #FundOurFuture

“Recent polling shows that 2 in 3 Hawaiʻi voters believe elected officials care more about ʻwealthy donors’ than the ʻneeds of their communities.’ If our legislators pass HB2653, they will have proved those voters right,” writes Kim Coco Iwamoto staradvertiser.com/2024/04/10/edi…

“It is incredibly tone deaf to give huge tax breaks to Hawaiʻi’s wealthiest heirs when the Legislature is facing so many urgent needs in our community, first and foremost the recovery of West Maui.”

And use the money raised from taxes on the rich to fund Universal Free School Meals, SNAP expansions and other policies that allow Hawai‘i families to be able to afford the cost of healthy food.

A letter to the editor in today’s Star-Advertiser that nails the issue with the Estate Tax giveaway bill, HB2653. #FundOurFuture staradvertiser.com/2024/04/18/edi…

Celebrate International Workers Day with the Defend and Respect Hawaiʻi’s Workers Coalition. Wed., May 1st; gather at 9:30AM at Fort Street Mall, where we will begin our march to the Capitol. From Palestine to Hawaiʻi, WORKERS OF THE WORLD UNITE. RSVP: bit.ly/hwcmayday

Last minute changes to the bill, made without public scrutiny, will increase its cost by nearly eight-fold, while higher-income households will get a far bigger benefit than those struggling to make ends meet. #FundOurFuture hiappleseed.org/blog/the-big-b…

1 in 3 Hawaiʻi households experienced food insecurity last year, underscoring the urgent need for robust policy interventions to ensure that all residents have access to adequate and nutritious food. #FoodEquity #FoodPolicy #Antihunger hiappleseed.org/blog/community…

A new report from ITEP lifts up the significant economic contributions undocumented immigrants make to our government through the taxes they pay. The technicality of their work status not only burdens them, but also limits their economic potential. hiappleseed.org/blog/hardworki…

The tax contributions of undocumented immigrants in Hawaiʻi could increase to as much as $194.4M if they were given official work authorization. Hawaiʻi’s congressional delegation should join the call to allow work permits for these community members. hiappleseed.org/blog/hardworki…

Don't forget #UniversalFreeSchoolMeals!

"The legislature should be proactive in the 2025 session. The alternative to cutting taxes is to cut services. Research shows that the most productive public investments are in infrastructure and “human capital”—medical care, education and job training." staradvertiser.com/2024/08/06/edi…

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Hawaiʻi Appleseed turns 20 years old this year, and the organization is celebrating two decades of advocacy for a Hawaiʻi in which everyone can meet their basic needs while living happy, healthy and creative lives. hiappleseed.org/press-releases…

Mahalo Honolulu Civil Beat for covering one of our signature products: the Budget Primer! Every biennium, the state plans its spending through a budget. The budget can be very hard to decipher! Our primer is a “major step toward enlightenment,” says the Blog. civilbeat.org/2024/09/the-su…

Together with Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action, we're looking for community members who are interested in advancing their organizing skills to build power and change the way our communities access food equitably for a training bootcamp. Learn more and apply at bit.ly/aikamahao by Sept 13.

Curious about how the state budget is funded, and how those monies are distributed through the government? Join us for a briefing and panel discussion featuring former Gov. David Ige and Beth Giesting, who wrote our Budget Primer, Sun., Feb. 15 at 5 p.m. hawaiipublicradio.org/the-conversati…

Promising trends for families across the nation, but many continue to feel the lasting effects of widespread unemployment during the pandemic, a rising cost of living, and inadequate government assistance. #Census #Poverty #ChildTaxCredit hiappleseed.org/blog/census-po…

Join us on Sat., Nov., 23, 2024, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., at Church of the Crossroads, for a FREE community #CommunityOrganizing training. Register: bit.ly/PeoplePowerTra… Lunch provided 💪 #PeoplePower #PeopleFirst #OrganizeToWin #FundOurFuture #Politics #Hawaii #SystemsChange