Bill Text: HI SB2378 | 2010 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Office of Hawaiian Affairs; Trustees; Election
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2010-04-21 - (S) Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-22-10 6:00PM in conference room 325. [SB2378 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2010-SB2378-Amended.html
STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2122
Honolulu, Hawaii
RE: S.B. No. 2378
S.D. 1
Honorable Colleen Hanabusa
President of the Senate
Twenty-Fifth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2010
State of Hawaii
Madam:
Your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 2378 entitled:
"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO THE OFFICE OF HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS,"
begs leave to report as follows:
The purpose of this measure is to provide for the election of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs board members through a system of nonpartisan primary and general elections.
Testimony in support was submitted by one organization and sixteen individuals. One state agency submitted comments. Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.
Your Committee recognizes that studies have shown that incumbents for any political office have a distinct advantage over challengers. However, in Office of Hawaiian Affairs board elections, where there is no primary to narrow the list of candidates, the incumbents have an even greater advantage due to widespread name recognition and the number of challenger candidates. The 2006 general election ballot listed fourteen candidates for three at-large positions. In that election, more ballots were cast for candidates who did not win the election than for candidates who did win, but the votes were spread out among eleven candidates.
Your Committee finds that implementing a process of primary elections to narrow the field of candidates for Office of Hawaiian Affairs board positions, will provide the candidates an opportunity to conduct outreach and establish position platforms and instill in the voters a greater sense of accountability for their elected board members.
Your Committee has amended this measure by clarifying that the primary election shall narrow down the candidates for at-large seats to no more than twice the number of seats available for the general election ballot.
As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2378, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2378, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Government Operations.
Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs,
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____________________________ CLAYTON HEE, Chair |
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