STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3344

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    H.B. No. 661

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2008

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred H.B. No. 661, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CAMPAIGN SPENDING,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a comprehensive public funding pilot program for the Hawaii County Council elections of 2010, 2012, and 2014.

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Hawaii County Council, the Conservation Council for Hawaii, Life of the Land, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii, the Hawaii chapter of the Sierra Club, Voter Owned Hawaii, the Hawaii chapter of Americans for Democratic Action, and five concerned citizens.  Testimony in opposition to the measure was received from the Campaign Spending Commission.  Comments on the measure were received from the Office of Elections.

     Your Committee finds that the campaign spending laws presently authorize partial public funding of elections.  This measure will test the viability of comprehensive public funding of elections by limiting comprehensive public funding to a single county for three election years.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Incorporating changes recommended by the Campaign Spending Commission in order to clarify the intent or facilitate the implementation of the measure, remove redundant provisions or provisions that are inconsistent with the present elections law, and conform existing election laws to the measure;

     (2)  Replacing the Office of Elections with the Hawaii County Clerk as the entity to certify that a candidate will be placed on the ballot in the general election;

     (3)  Deleting the appropriations to the Campaign Spending Commission;

     (4)  Changing the effective date of the measure to July 1, 2008, and clarifying that it shall be applicable beginning with the general election year of 2010, to ensure sufficient time for necessary preparations such as form development and training, and for a thorough review of the provisions herein and the making of any necessary modifications; and

     (5)  Making technical nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity and style.

     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 is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 661, H.D. 1, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 661, H.D. 1, S.D. 2.

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

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair