House leaders ignored the needs of Hawaiʻi’s workers
By denying more needed hearings on the unemployment insurance tax bill SB 614 and no hearings on the minimum wage bill Senate Bill 676 the state House of Representatives—led by Speaker Scott Saiki along with Reps. Sylvia Luke and Richard Onishi—has arrogantly smashed this simple dream workers have for some economic justice.
Luke is the House Finance Committee Chair while Onishi heads the Labor and Tourism Committee. These autocrats have purposely drowned out the voices of workers. The state Legislature is supposed to work for all of Hawaiʻi’s people, not just the Chamber of Commerce.
These 'misleaders' should be deeply ashamed of their disrespect to Hawaiʻi’s working families. Without our collective labor, taxes and votes they are nothing. Every place has its own political nuances. Historically in Hawaiʻi, racial and class inequality go hand in hand.
Maybe Saiki, Luke and Onishi can return their future undeserved salary increases by sending it back to our state coffers, since they are so concerned about the state budget.
