Hawaii’s House Education Committee unanimously passed House Bill 1667 yesterday, which would offer teachers an income tax credit of up to $500 for supplies they purchase out of pocket during the school year.

The proposal cleared its furst hurdle despite at least two testimonies against it: One from the Department of Taxation and one from the Tax Foundation of Hawaii, which characterized the bill as “a backdoor pay increase for teachers.”

Written testimony from the foundation admonishes lawmakers that “It should be remembered that using the tax system to achieve social goals, as this measure proposes, is an inefficient means of accomplishing such goals.”

The same committee deferred a bill that would allow principals to establish debit card systems for school purchases.