HCR165

WHEREAS, in 2008, a question will be placed on the general election ballot asking voters whether a Constitutional Convention should be held to amend the Constitution of the State of Hawaii (Hawaii Constitution); and

WHEREAS, the last Constitutional Convention occurred in 1978, at which time the public was provided a forum to discuss and recommend possible amendments to the Hawaii Constitution; and

WHEREAS, the question of whether to hold a Constitutional Convention was last submitted to the electorate in 1998, and the voters answered "no"; and

WHEREAS, a Constitutional Convention is a major investment of both time and money for the State and should not be voted for lightly; and

WHEREAS, the cost of holding a Constitutional Convention is currently undetermined, and knowledge of the estimated cost would help voters determine the worthiness of using funds for such an undertaking; and

WHEREAS, in an effort to educate voters before they vote on this important question, the Legislature finds that providing information, such as the estimated cost of holding a Constitutional Convention, will promote well-informed decisions when citizens cast their ballots prior to or on Election Day 2008; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that a Constitutional Convention Cost Task Force (Task Force) be established to determine the cost of holding a Constitutional Convention, to examine ways to reduce such costs, and to report its findings; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force shall consist of the following nine members, who each have one vote:

(1) The Comptroller, or the Comptroller's designee;

(2) The executive director of the Campaign Spending Commission, or the executive director's designee;

(3) The Chief Elections Officer, or the Chief Elections Officer's designee;

(4) The Director of Finance, or the director's designee;

(5) One senator appointed by the President of the Senate, and one senator appointed by the Senate Minority Leader;

(6) One representative appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives (House), and one representative appointed by the House Minority Leader; and

(7) The president of the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, or the president's designee;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the members of the Task Force shall select a chairperson from among themselves; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that four members of the Task Force shall constitute a quorum to conduct business; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that an affirmative vote by a majority of the members present and voting at a meeting at which quorum exists shall be necessary to validate any action of the Task Force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Attorney General, or the Attorney General's designee, shall serve in an ex officio capacity as an advisor to--but not as a voting member of--the Task Force; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force shall have 90 working days, beginning on May 2, 2008, to:

(1) Determine the cost of holding a Constitutional Convention; and

(2) Submit a report to the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House, and Governor so that voters will be able to make a well-informed decision on or before November 4, 2008, about whether to hold a Constitutional Convention;

and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Task Force will cease to exist on November 5, 2008; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Governor, Comptroller, Director of Finance, Attorney General, Chief Elections Officer, executive director of the Campaign Spending Commission, and president of the League of Women Voters of Hawaii.

	OFFERED BY:	_____________________________

Report Title:

Costs of Holding a Constitutional Convention; Task Force

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES	H.C.R. NO.	165
TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008
STATE OF HAWAII