In his 2022 State of the State Address, Gov. David Ige announced that given recent revenue projections, he is asking the Hawaiʻi State Legislature to return some of those dollars to taxpayers. “We want to issue refund checks of $100 for every taxpayer and for each of their dependents. For a family of four, that would mean an extra $400. In this way, we’ll also inject $110 million back into our economy,” said Gov. Ige.

He also urged the Legislature to work with him on taking the next step to provide access to preschool for every child in Hawaiʻi. “There have been a lot of things we’ve had to postpone because of the pandemic. One of the most important was our proposal to create a universal preschool system in Hawaiʻi,” said Gov. Ige. “Research tells us that early learning is crucial in preparing our children for school and life in general. We will continue to nurture our early learners through our community-based centers.”

And Gov. Ige also announced the state is working to maximize federal funding for Broadband and is proposing the largest investment in technology in state history – a total of more than $400 million.

“We’re calling it Apakau Ka La, ‘spreading of the sun’s rays’ — and it will support critical infrastructure for the future, connecting all of the main Hawaiian Islands. This initiative will not only close the digital divide between the haves and the have-nots, but it will also strengthen us as a community,” said Gov. Ige.

The entire State of State address TEXT is attached.