The state House of Representatives majority caucus will focus on preparing keiki for school, combating high costs of living and food insecurity across the state.
Rep. Luke Evslin said that traditional state and federal support only targets the state's poorest residents — leaving out the majority of Hawaiʻi's working class.
He plans to infuse $150 million into a new account within the rental housing revolving fund. That would help develop affordable housing for those making between 60% and 140% of the state's annual median income.
Rep. Justin Woodson reintroduced a measure that would add 50 public pre-k classrooms across the state.
“We also know that the second highest cost driver that's impacting our working families is, in fact, preschools and the lack of daycare, and our pre-K classrooms are 100% free for our families. What we want to do is to completely take away that cost barrier for our families and absorb that cost to take that burden off their financial plates," he said.
Natural resource preservation and food insecurity are also priorities. That's why the House majority is supporting measures that would fund biosecurity efforts and create partnerships between local farms and food banks.
