The House of Representatives in Hawaii is where good ideas go not for debate and refinement but simply to die without vote or discussion.

Such is the power and arrogance of House “leadership.”

Whether it’s increasing taxes on the highest income earners in the state, the legalization of cannabis, cutting taxes for the unemployed or increasing the minimum wage, when House leadership says no, you can take that to the bank (or the Chamber of Commerce).

After all, that’s probably where the order came from in the first place.

SB 676, increasing the minimum wage to $12, has passed out of the Senate and is waiting now for Rep. Richard Onishi, chair of the House Labor and Tourism Committee, to schedule a hearing.

Unfortunately, it appears that yet again Onishi’s boss, House Speaker Scott Saiki, will not be allowing a hearing — let alone a vote — on SB 676.

As further evidence of this intent, not a single House bill proposing to increase the minimum wage has been scheduled this year. House leadership is refusing to allow any public discussion of the issue whatsoever.

Finance Chair Sylvia Luke seemed to put another nail in the coffin just a few days ago when she stated to the media, “It would be more rational for both the Senate and the House to take another look at it next year.”

SB 676 proposes a modest increase in Hawaii’s minimum wage from $10.10 to $12 per hour. The increase would not take effect until next year, July of 2022.

So when Luke, Saiki and Onishi say “not this year,” they are really saying not next year either.

Not this year, say Luke, Saiki and Onishi. Not in 2019, not in 2020, not in 2021 and not in 2022 either.

Yet all three, and members of the entire Legislature, will be getting a pay raise this year: a 10% increase in their salaries, which translates to over $6,000 per year each or about $3 per hour. The raise is effective as of July of this year. In 2024, members of the Legislature are slated to get yet another $3 per hour increase.

The state’s Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism has determined, “A single adult with no children needed to earn an hourly wage of $17.21 in 2018 to be able to meet his/her basic needs and to be economically self-sufficient.”

Yet Hawaii’s House leadership has determined that $10.10 is good enough for 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

President Joe Biden, every member of the Hawaii Congressional delegation and almost every single Democrat in the U.S. Congress is fighting for a national $15 minimum wage, yet Hawaii’s State House, which is overwhelmingly controlled by Democrats (47 Democrats to 4 Republicans) year after year tells our workers to eat cake at $10.10.

Pandemic or no pandemic, 26 states are increasing their minimum wage this year. Hawaii needs to be number 27.

It’s sad, really. It’s sad, it’s unjust and it’s a hypocritical abuse of power.

Leadership in the House should step back for a moment, take a big deep breath and gather the courage to push back against the bankers and the Chamber.

The research is clear and Hawaii’s own recent history proves it to be true. Modest incremental increases in the minimum wage phased in over time do not result in job losses, increased bankruptcy or excessive inflation. What actually happens is increased spending that benefits both workers and the economy as a whole.

If someone works 40 hours a week, they deserve to earn a wage that can provide a dry, safe place to sleep at night.

Hawaii’s workers deserve respect and they deserve a wage increase, just like the entire Legislature will be getting this year.