“For an average family of four, these algorithmic markups translated to an extra $1,200 a year in grocery costs.”
For generations, the price on the retail shelf has been the price you pay—unchanging whether you’re a CEO, a student, or
Every year, Hawaiʻi Appleseed releases Policy in Perspective, our annual report on the legislative session’s wins, losses, and lessons learned. But what you might not know is that the report doesn’t appear out of thin air—it’s built from a year’s
At Hawaiʻi Appleseed, we believe that where you live should never determine how far you can go. That’s why we’re currently in Phase II of our Mobility, Access and Transportation Insecurity (MATI) project—a community-centered research effort focused on understanding the
We tend to think of building codes as settled, technical matters best left to engineers and inspectors: they exist to keep buildings from burning down and falling over. For the most part, that is exactly what they do. But a
The 2026 legislative session is now in the rearview mirror. Some progress was made toward a fair tax system that collects more revenue from those at the top to fund our collective needs, but it won’t be enough to fill
As affordability and Hawaiʻi’s high cost of living becomes an increasingly urgent point of discussion for residents across the islands, legislators are increasingly recognizing that food security is central to the well-being of our communities.During the 2026 legislative session, the
Victor Geminiani—the leading co-founder of the organization that became the Hawaiʻi Appleseed Center for Law & Economic Justice—spent more than 50 years using the law on behalf of those too often overlooked in Hawaiʻi and on the continent. A relentless
Hawaiʻi’s pedestrians are in crisis. Fatalities are rising, our most dangerous intersections remain unfixed, and the people most affected—keiki, kūpuna, people with disabilities, and low-income families who walk out of necessity—continue to bear the heaviest burden.This legislative session brought hope.
The 2026 legislative session left transportation equity advocates with some bruises. Priorities such as Keiki Ride Free, Pedestrian Head Start and jaywalking reform didn’t cross the finish line this year. But a session isn’t defined solely by its failures. And we
You’ve probably heard the phrase “tax the rich” thrown around. But lately, something real is happening. States across the country—Maine, Washington, Massachusetts, and even right here in Hawaiʻi—are starting to ask their wealthiest residents to pay a little more.It’s not
