STAND. COM. REP. NO. 742

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 676

S.D. 1

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2021

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 676, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE MINIMUM WAGE,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to increase the minimum wage from $10.10 per hour to $12.00 per hour beginning on July 1, 2022.

Your Committees received written comments in support of this measure from the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Americans for Democratic Action; Community Alliance on Prisons; Community Alliance Partners; Danielle Beaver, Attorney at Law; Faith Action for Community Equity; Foresight/Policy Analysis; Hawaii Alliance for Community-Based Economic Development; Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action; Hawaii Appleseed Center for Law and Economic Justice; Hawaii Democratic Women's Caucus; Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center; Hawaii Public Health Institute; Hawaii State Teachers Association; Hawaii Workers Center; ILWU Local 142; Kokolulu Farm and Cancer Retreats Inc.; League of Women Voters Hawaii; LGBT Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii; Living Wage Hawaii; Paradise Production Studios, Inc.; Pono Hawaii Initiative; Pride at Work - Hawaii; Save Medicaid Hawaii; Sierra Club of Hawaii; St Elizabeth's Church; United Public Workers, AFSCME Local 646; Young Progressives Demanding Action; and numerous individuals.

Your Committees received written comments in opposition to this measure from Chamber of Commerce Hawaii; Envisions Entertainment; Gyotaku Restaurants; Hawaii Food Industry Association; Hawaii Lodging and Tourism Association; Hawaii Restaurant Association; Hawaii Transportation Association; Hawaiian Chip Company, LLC; Highway Inn; Honolulu County Republican Party; IL Gelato Hawaii; Island Plastic Bags, Inc.; Jade Food Products, Inc.; Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce; Maui Chamber of Commerce; Molokai Sea Farms; National Federation of Independent Business; Pacific Mirror and Glass; Retail Merchants of Hawaii; Tiki's Grill and Bar; and six individuals.

Your Committees received written comments on this measure from Common Cause Hawaii, Democratic Party of Hawaii Education Caucus, Imua Alliance, The Heartland Institute, and two individuals.

Your Committees find that increasing the minimum wage to $12.00 per hour is an appropriate way to address inflation and the increased cost of living in the State.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 676, S.D. 1, and recommend that it pass Third Reading.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Ways and Means and Judiciary,

________________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair

________________________________ DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair