Advocates for a living wage will be asking our elected officials to deliver on their promises and pass a living wage bill in the 2021 legislative session. But we can’t do it without support from you.
It’s time to Raise Up Hawaiʻi
Every worker deserves a Living Wage.
All by Michael Brestovansky
While some of the opposition was from the perspective of business owners worried about the increased labor costs, most were concerned that the bill does not do enough.
Conferees had last-minute concerns about whether a separate wage scale was legal and whether it would cause unintended consequences, so lawmakers ultimately decided to remove the scale entirely.
During previous hearings in the House, the bill received significant opposition from business interests, but substantially more support from others. Supporters cited research that increases to minimum wage does not substantially harm businesses—often quite the contrary.
During a hearing regarding HB 1191 on Jan. 31, public testimony was widely in favor of the measure, with most of the dissent coming from business owners and associations.
