STAND. COM. REP. NO. 437-00

                                 Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                   , 2000

                                 RE: H.B. No. 1879
                                     H.D. 1




Honorable Calvin K.Y. Say
Speaker, House of Representatives
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which
was referred H.B. No. 1879 entitled: 

     "A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this bill is to establish a pilot program for
the city and county of Honolulu council elections of 2002
providing for matching public funding for candidates who
voluntarily abide by specified contribution and expenditure
limits.

     The Advocates for Consumer Rights, Common Cause Hawaii, the
Kokua Council, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, the League
of Women Voters of Honolulu, the Kauai Group of the Hawaii
Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Hawaii Elections Project, the
Hawaii Green Party, Hawaii Clean Elections, Annette's Adventures,
and several members of the public testified in support of the
measure.  The Campaign Spending Commission (Commission) and the
Office of Elections commented on this measure.

     Your Committee finds that this measure would allow
candidates for public office to run with the support of
individual grass roots instead of large business concerns.  Your
Committee finds that this bill will add to the integrity of the
elections system in Hawaii.


 
 
 
 
                                 STAND. COM. REP. NO. 437-00
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     Your Committee has amended this bill by:

     (1)  Renaming the "Clean Elections Pilot Program" to the
          "Public Financing Elections Pilot Program";

     (2)  Changing "clean elections candidate" to "public
          financed candidate";

     (3)  Changing "special election" to "first special election"
          and "special runoff election" to "second special
          election";

     (4)  Replacing the term "inkind" with "nonmonetary";

     (5)  Deleting language in the purpose clause describing the
          need for alternative systems of fundraising;

     (6)  Changing the beginning date for acceptance of
          contributions from January 1, 2002 to February 1, 2002;

     (7)  Eliminating distinctions between contributions of less
          than or more than $25 with respect to information
          required on receipts;

     (8)  Increasing the qualifying contribution amount from five
          to ten dollars;

     (9)  Modifying the description of personal funds that may be
          used by a candidate for seed money;

    (10)  Specifying that the number of candidates certified by
          the Commission shall not exceed 3 from each district;

    (11)  Requiring the Commission to render a decision on
          certification of the candidate within 10 days instead
          of the 20 days provided for under current law;

    (12)  Removing language that would have given the audit and
          judicial review to the Commission certification
          decision;

    (13)  Limiting expenditures to 100 percent of the public
          funds allocated;

    (14)  Restricting the candidates' ability to accept
          contributions for a period of three years after
          elected;


 
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    (15)  Deleting language that required adjustments of the
          amount of equalizing funds based on voting populations;

    (16)  Deleting the debit card system;

    (17)  Clarifying that suspension of the partial public
          funding programs only apply to city council elections;
          and

    (18)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for
          purposes of style and clarity.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs that is attached to
this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and
purpose of H.B. No. 1879, as amended herein, and recommends that
it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No.
1879, H.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Finance.

                                   Respectfully submitted on
                                   behalf of the members of the
                                   Committee on Judiciary &
                                   Hawaiian Affairs,



                                   ______________________________
                                   ERIC G. HAMAKAWA, Chair