Bill Text: HI HB1481 | 2013 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: Campaign Spending Commission; Partial Public Financing; Appropriation ($)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)

Status: (Enrolled - Dead) 2013-04-26 - Conference Committee Meeting will reconvene on Friday, 04-26-13 at 5:00PM in Conference Room 325. [HB1481 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2013-HB1481-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1015

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.B. No. 1481

       H.D. 2

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Labor, to which was referred H.B. No. 1481, H.D. 2, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPAIGN SPENDING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to:

 

     (1)  Establish a public funding program for elections to the State Senate and State House of Representatives, beginning with the 2016 election;

 

     (2)  Exclude candidates for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, State Senator, and State House of Representatives from access to the existing partial public financing program;

 

     (3)  Require the Campaign Spending Commission to submit a written report of its findings and recommendations, including any proposed legislation, to the Legislature prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2016 regarding further statutory amendments necessary to facilitate the implementation of the public funding program for State Senate and House of Representatives elections; and

 

     (4)  Appropriate an unspecified amount to be deposited into the Hawaii election campaign fund and expended by the Campaign Spending Commission for fiscal years 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 to prepare for the public funding of candidates in elections taking place in 2016, including staff resources.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the League of Women Voters of Hawaii; Voter Owned Hawaii; Common Cause Hawaii; Open Law Alliance; Life of the Land; Sierra Club, Hawaii Chapter; and sixty-five individuals.  Testimony in opposition to this measure was submitted by one individual.  The Campaign Spending Commission and two individuals submitted comments on this measure.

 

     Your Committee finds that the full voluntary public funding of election campaigns allows candidates, including incumbents, to focus on the needs of their districts and the State rather than spending a majority of their time and energy securing adequate funds to cover the costs of their campaigns.  This measure will assist in increasing equity in Hawaii's election system by, among other things, establishing a comprehensive system of public financing for elections to the State Senate and State House of Representatives, beginning with the 2016 election.

 

     While your Committee recognizes the merits of a public funding program for elections, it has serious concerns regarding the feasibility of financing such a program.  Your Committee notes that language intended to amend the funding formula by distributing public funds to a certified candidate still needs to be developed.  Therefore, your Committee anticipates that this language will be proposed to your Committee on Ways and Means, if that committee chooses to schedule this measure.  However, your Committee does not intend to give prior concurrence unless the financial and operational feasibility of any proposed financing mechanisms are fully discussed, deliberated, and resolved.  Your Committee further notes that this measure applies to the 2016 election and recognizes that this issue may be discussed further next session.

 

     Accordingly, your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Applying the public funding program to candidates for election to the State House of Representatives and deleting references under section 1 to Senate candidates and senatorial districts;

 

     (2)  Inserting an effective date of July 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary and Labor that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1481, H.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 1481, H.D. 2, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary and Labor,

 

		____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair