Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, to which was referred S.B. No. 3104 entitled:

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to provide comprehensive public funding for candidates seeking election to office in the state house of representatives who voluntarily agree to abide by campaign contribution and campaign expenditure limits and meet other criteria.

Testimony in support of this measure was submitted by the Hawaii State Commission on the Status of Women, a council member from the Hawaii County Council, Advocates for Consumer Rights, First Unitarian Church, Green Party of Hawaii, Hawaii Clean Elections Coalition, Hawaii Coalition for Good Government, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Parents and Children Together, Sierra Club Hawaii Chapter, and twelve private individuals. Testimony opposing this measure was submitted by the State Campaign Spending Commission. Comments regarding this measure were also submitted by the Mayor of the County of Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that many citizens feel a growing sense of frustration with our election process because of the practices of soliciting, raising, and spending large private campaign contributions. Also, reliance on private contributions make it difficult for individuals without access to large private contributions to participate meaningfully in the electoral process. Your Committee believes this measure will begin to address some of these issues by evening out the playing field for all candidates, whether they are privately or publicly funded.

Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive changes.

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 S.B. No. 3104, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 3104, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.