Report Title:

Full Public Financing; Campaigns for Public Office; Constitutional Amendment

Description:

Places a question on the 2004 general election ballot that asks if the constitution should be amended to allow a full public financing of campaigns for public offices of the State and its political subdivisions.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

H.B. NO.

2810

TWENTY-SECOND LEGISLATURE, 2004

 

STATE OF HAWAII

 


 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

proposing an amendment to article II, section 5, of the hawaii state constitution to allow full public financing of campaigns for public office.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

SECTION 1. The legislature acknowledges public concerns about the current private financing system for election campaigns in Hawaii. Recent campaign donation scandals have highlighted a "pay to play" system among government contractors who feel they must donate to state and county executives to be considered for contracts.

In the legislative branch, most campaign contributors of larger-sized donations to legislators have a stake in legislation that could affect their interests. When this happens, a conflict of interest between the legislator’s public duty and his or her responsibility as a serious-minded candidate is sometimes or often perceived by the public.

In the national and local political scenes, the level of public trust of elected officials has steadily declined in the past decade. This is due in part to a public perception that the first loyalty of politicians is to their own self-interests for re-election and securing campaign donations and secondarily for the public good. Whether true or not, this perception has eroded the people’s spirit of democracy and has reduced our civic capacity to solve national and local problems.

The legislature finds that one possible means of addressing these concerns is to allow full public financing of election campaigns. While the Hawaii constitution provides for partial public funding of campaigns, there is doubt whether full public financing is allowed for the range of offices that might be considered.

The purpose of the Act is to propose an amendment to article II, section 5, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to allow full public financing of campaigns for public offices of the State and its political subdivisions.

SECTION 2. Article II, section 5, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii is amended to read as follows:

"CAMPAIGN FUNDING, SPENDING LIMIT

SECTION 5. The legislature shall establish a campaign fund to be used for full or partial public financing of campaigns for public offices of the State and its political subdivisions, as provided by law. The legislature shall provide a limit on the campaign spending of candidates."

SECTION 3. The question to be printed on the ballot shall be as follows:

"Shall full public financing of campaigns be allowed for public offices in the State and its political subdivisions?"

SECTION 4. New constitutional material is underscored.

SECTION 5. This amendment shall take effect upon compliance with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii.

INTRODUCED BY:

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