STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1391

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 1999

                                   RE:  H.B. No. 165
                                        H.D. 1
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 1999
State of Hawaii

Sir:

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

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill, as received by your Committee, is
to:

     (1)  Include within the definition of "contribution" for
          election campaign purposes:

          (A)  Gifts to committees for political purposes; and

          (B)  The payment by a political party or other entity
               of compensation for services rendered at no charge
               or at an unreasonably low charge for political
               purposes; and

     (2)  Subject political parties to the same campaign
          contribution limits applicable to persons and other
          entities.

     Your Committee finds that this measure will help reduce
campaign contribution and spending abuses, and increase public
confidence in the political process.  However, your Committee
notes that S.B. 630, S.D. 1, is the intended vehicle for these
purposes.  Your Committee further believes that in addition to

 
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the changes proposed by this measure as received, and proposed by
S.B. 630, S.D. 1, campaign contribution abuses will be further
curtailed by lowering the maximum amount that may be contributed
to a political party during a two year election cycle.

     Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the
Campaign Spending Commission, the League of Women Voters, and
Common Cause Hawaii.

     Upon further consideration, your Committee has amended this
measure by:

     (1)  Deleting its contents; 

     (2)  Reinserting a provision subjecting political parties to
          the same contribution limits applicable to other
          persons and entities; and

     (3)  Inserting a provision reducing the maximum allowable
          contribution to a political party to $25,000, which is
          similar to federal law.

     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.
165, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass
Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 165, H.D. 
1, S.D. 1, and be placed on the calendar for Third Reading.

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



                                   ______________________________
                                   AVERY B. CHUMBLEY, Co-Chair



                                   ______________________________
                                   MATTHEW M. MATSUNAGA, Co-Chair

 
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