AUW recaps its maiden session advocating at the Legislature

The legislative session that ended last month was the first since Aloha United Way announced its intention to engage in policy making at the local level. Norm Baker, AUW’s vice president for community building, recently reported back to partner agencies on the results.

• AUW was unsuccessful in its efforts to receive a grant in aid to continue to offer assistance to low-income tax payers for earned income tax credits and associated family and individual self-sufficiency or asset building efforts. The funding request was included in the Department of Human Services budget, however, so the EITC effort will continue.
• AUW’s support of a Civil Defense request for a emergency and disaster telephone hotline was rolled into a larger Civil Defense request for improving emergency response. What that funding will be used for is still undetermined.
• AUW support of a state EITC, for requiring the state to establish and annually update a self-sufficiency standard and to create incentives for savings using Individual Development Accounts “were combined in the Senate Omnibus Asset Building bill which unfortunately did not pass,” Baker said. “We are still hopeful that DBEDT will opt to establish and update the Self Sufficiency Standard for Hawai‘i.”
• A bill AUW supported to enact the State Auditor’s recommendadtions on payday lending did not pass.
• AUW, through the United Way of America Policy office, is continuing to urge federal support for 211 information and referral services and the CARE/Charitable Giving Act, which would increase incentives for individual and business giving.

“The failure of the Omnibus Asset Building bill to pass was a disappointment,” Baker said. “However, I believe that our collective advocacy around the asset building concept raised the awareness of the legislators and established a foundation for future work.” He said the tax relief for low- and moderate-income families that was passed may have reflected this increased awareness.

On the other hand, Baker said, “We are very pleased that the EITC and asset building effort will continue and that it is now established in a Department budget.”

“Finally, it was very encouraging to see the cooperative efforts of the Community Foundation, HANO and the AUW partner agencies as they generated quick and effective pressure against the ill-advised House Bill 760 (the “Living Wage” bill).”