The House and Senate opened with the festivities and open doors, reminiscent of pre-pandemic days, with guests and constituents from throughout the state traveling to Honolulu.
"It's really important, as the pandemic has begun to lift that we reopen the capital because this building is it's symbolic of our Democratic system," House Speaker Scott Saiki of Oʻahu said.
"We should create a statewide visitor reservation and payment system make major investments to repair or restore our state parks, ocean resources and forests and harness the enthusiasm and physical strength of community organizations to maintain our parks and trails," Saiki said.
Last year, the Legislature notably raised the state’s minimum wage in a tiered-stepped method. In October, the minimum wage went from $10.10 to $12 an hour.
The next increase won’t be until 2024, when it goes to $16, and will increase every two years until it hits $18 an hour. The same law that did this also made the federal Earned Income Tax Credit permanent for some households at lower income thresholds, Saiki would like to adjust that even more...
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