Bill Text: HI HB300 | 2013 | Regular Session | Amended

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Bill Title: State Constitution; County Charters; Information on Amendments

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 6-1)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2013-02-12 - Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on FIN with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Belatti, Cachola, Coffman, Takai excused (4). [HB300 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2013-HB300-Amended.html

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STAND. COM. REP. NO.  327

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2013

 

RE:   H.B. No. 300

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred H.B. No. 300 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO INFORMED VOTING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to promote voter education concerning constitutional and county charter amendments by requiring the Chief Election Officer:

 

     (1)  To publish a ballot pamphlet that contains a "plain language" description of any proposed amendments to be prepared by the Legislature, or county clerk or the county clerk's designee, as applicable; and

 

     (2)  To publish a website that incorporates the information contained in the ballot pamphlet, and other related information, and allows for public discussion of the amendments.

 

     The League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, Councilmember of District IV of the Honolulu City Council, and a concerned individual testified in support of this measure.  The Office of the County Clerk of the County of Maui testified in opposition to this bill.  The Office of Elections and Office of the County Clerk of the County of Kauai provided comments.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the Legislative Reference Bureau, instead of the Legislature, to prepare summaries for proposed amendments to the Hawaii State Constitution;

 

     (2)  Requiring that any summaries prepared by the Legislative Reference Bureau, or the county clerk or the county clerk's designee, as applicable, be submitted to the Office of Elections no later than ninety days prior to the general election;

 

     (3)  Narrowing the scope of the required features of the website to be maintained by the Office of Elections; and

 

     (4)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for clarity, consistency, and style. 

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 300, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 300, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

		____________________________ KARL RHOADS, Chair