Family advocates, parents and a number of lawmakers say it's time for a child tax credit in Hawaiʻi. Many of them gathered at the Capitol on Wednesday.
The tax credit would be scaled to income. Families making less than $40,000 a year could claim the full credit of $650 per child.
The credit would decrease as the family income increases, so a family making $115,000 a year would only be able to claim $65 per child.
Hawaiʻi Appleseed for Law & Economic Justice, a social advocate nonprofit, supports the measure. Its senior budget policy analyst Devin Thomas said the tax credit could sustain families who are just scraping by.
"We really see it as a difference maker in terms of month-to-month expenses, because anyone who's been in financial duress or has known someone in financial duress understands that a few hundred dollars can mean the difference between making rent or not, or the difference between being able to eat for that month," he said.
"While it's not a huge amount, if you have more than one child especially, it does add up."
Thomas said the tax credit could help nearly 200,000 children in Hawaiʻi.
The measure is waiting for a hearing in the House Finance Committee.
