Hawaii's lead industry is tourism.  Somewhere along the line GET was seen as maximizing state revenues and tourists would pay.  The GET penalizes the poor, middle class and yes, small business.  

We have 8 million tourists/year.  Minimum wage supports our lead industry, and that is why we have it. The intent may have been for minimum wage to support high school students....,but I see a lot of adults of all ages working these jobs to support themselves and families.  We have over priced rentals, minimum wage paying jobs and GET that pays for rail and other government gratuities.  In the meantime people sit in traffic to get to multiple jobs to support their kids who go to poorly funded schools.  We have backed up sewer systems, climate change and many employed homeless (some sheltered, and some not) in our midst.

Since the legislature ignores rent control and prefers GET to fund their penchant for tax breaks and subsidies, raising minimum wage is the only tool in their arsenal.