STAND. COM. REP. NO.  1453

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2007

 

RE:   S.B. No. 1068

      S.D. 1

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred S.B. No. 1068, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

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

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this bill is to increase the amount of funds available to candidates who voluntarily agree to limit their campaign spending. 

 

     Hawaii Clean Elections and Metizo Association testified in support of this bill.  The League of Women Voters of Hawaii supported the intent of this measure.  The Campaign Spending Commission provided comments. 

 

     Upon careful consideration, your Committee has amended this bill by, among other things:

 

(1)  Revising various election campaign reporting deadlines;

 

(2)  Amending definitions of "contribution" and "expenditure";

 

(3)  Requiring noncandidate committees to register with the Commission by filing an organizational report;

 

(4)  Adding the office of the prosecuting attorney as an election subject to spending limitation per voter in publicly-funded campaigns;

 

(5)  Increasing amounts that may be spent per voter for state and county elections in publicly-funded campaigns for the office of the governor, lieutenant governor, mayor, board of education, state senator, state representative, county council member, and prosecuting attorney;

 

(6)  Changing the maximum amount of public funding available to elections for state senator, state representative, county council member, and prosecuting attorney, to an unspecified percentage;

 

(7)  Changing the effective date to January 1, 2050, to encourage further discussion; and

 

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

 

     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 S.B. No. 1068, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1068, S.D. 1, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

 

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

 

 

 

 

____________________________

TOMMY WATERS, Chair