- February 27, 2018
- Hawaiʻi Appleseed
- Hawaii News Now
A Hawaii state senator is blocking a bill that would increase Hawaii’s minimum wage after a series of pay hikes that was enacted in 2014 came to an end this year.
As of Jan. 1, the state minimum wage stands at $10.10.
Arianna Espinoza says with that rate, she’s barely getting by working at a retail store in Ala Moana full time, while also attending college full-time.
“Not only am I paying for my own rent, I’m paying my own insurance,” the 20 year old said.
A proposed bill would bump up the minimum wage to $12.25 per hour in 2019, then to $15 per hour in 2020, but the chair of the Senate Ways and Means committee is refusing to give it a hearing without more research.