Bill Text: HI SCR191 | 2022 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Requesting The Legislative Reference Bureau To Conduct A Study On The Benefits And Drawbacks Of Implementing A Unicameral Legislature In Hawaii.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-03-16 - Referred to JDC/GVO. [SCR191 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2022-SCR191-Introduced.html

THE SENATE

S.C.R. NO.

191

THIRTY-FIRST LEGISLATURE, 2022

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

SENATE CONCURRENT

RESOLUTION

 

 

requesting the legislative reference bureau to conduct a study on the benefits and drawbacks of implementing a unicameral legislature in hawaii.

 

 


     WHEREAS, many Hawaii residents have expressed growing concern about the accessibility and accountability of the State's government; and

 

     WHEREAS, part of that concern stems from the structure of the State's legislative body; and

 

     WHEREAS, Hawaii's Legislature is bicameral, comprising two independent chambers; and

 

     WHEREAS, the bicameral legislative structure provides a system of checks and balances that facilitates deliberation, safeguards against the passage of carelessly-drafted legislation, and promotes open government by affording citizens the opportunity to express their opinions; and

 

     WHEREAS, the bicameral system also has drawbacks, including duplicative committee structures, staffing, and bills; and

 

     WHEREAS, in recent years, the bicameral system in Hawaii has become cumbersome and inefficient, leading to growing public concern about the accessibility and accountability of the State's government; and

 

     WHEREAS, procedures and policies differ among the two legislative chambers, sometimes substantially, making it confusing, time-consuming, and difficult for citizens to participate; and

 

     WHEREAS, the two legislative chambers often take opposing positions on issues, resulting in inaction or decisions being made in conference committees without public testimony; and

 

     WHEREAS, a unicameral legislature could eliminate duplicative work; and

 

     WHEREAS, a unicameral legislature could also result in an immediate cost savings if fewer legislators are constitutionally permitted; and

 

     WHEREAS, in Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964), the United States Supreme Court ruled that the electoral districts of state legislative chambers must be roughly equal in population; and

 

     WHEREAS, in the time since the Court's decision in Reynolds, it may no longer be necessary for the Senate to act as a counterbalance between the representation of large towns and cities and the representation of smaller rural communities; and

 

     WHEREAS, given these factors, Hawaii may benefit from a unicameral legislature, which, in the United States, is currently only used in Nebraska; now, therefore,

 

     BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Thirty-first Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2022, the House of Representatives concurring, that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to conduct a study on the benefits and drawbacks of implementing a unicameral legislature in Hawaii; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study is requested to include a review of the history of unicameral legislatures in America, including the history of Nebraska's conversion from a bicameral system to a unicameral system, and the recent experiences of Minnesota and other states that are considering implementing unicameral legislatures; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the study is also requested to address the likely effects of implementing a unicameral legislature in Hawaii on:

 

     (1)  The representativeness and responsiveness of the Legislature;

 

     (2)  The stability of the law;

 

     (3)  The accountability of legislators;

 

     (4)  The authority of legislators;

 

     (5)  The concentration of power within the Legislature;

 

     (6)  The quality of legislative decision making;

 

     (7)  The efficiency and economy of the Legislature; and

 

     (8)  Legislative custom and precedent; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to submit a report to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2023; and

 

     BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a certified copy of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau.

 

 

 

 

OFFERED BY:

_____________________________

 

By Request

Report Title:

Legislative Reference Bureau; State Legislature; Unicameral; Study

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