STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3425

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 47
                                        




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 47 entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO
     REVIEW AND IDENTIFY FISCALLY-RELATED POWERS CONFERRED UPON
     OR ASSUMED BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH SINCE 1987 THAT MAY BE
     RECLAIMED BY THE LEGISLATURE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to request the Auditor to
review and identify fiscally-related powers conferred upon or
assumed by the Executive branch since 1987 that may be reclaimed
or reasserted by the Legislature.

     Your Committee finds that the Legislature, in the interest
of promoting government efficiency and effectiveness through
fiscal flexibility, has explicitly conferred upon the Executive
branch, and tacitly allowed the Executive branch to assume,
certain fiscally-related powers originally intended for the
Legislature.

     The "power of the purse" is the hallmark of the
Legislature's authority and independence, and the mechanism by
which the framers of the state constitution sought to give to the
Legislature the dominant role in fiscal affairs.  The inability
or unwillingness of the Legislature to reclaim and reassert its

 
a                                                     SCR47
 
 
 
                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3425
                                   Page 2


fiscal powers could eventually erode the system of "checks and
balances" that forms the backbone of our modern democracy.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 47,
and recommends its adoption.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
a                                                     SCR47