STAND. COM. REP. NO. 946

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 1225

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Third State Legislature

Regular Session of 2025

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1225 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE XVII, SECTION 3 OF THE HAWAII CONSTITUTION TO SPECIFY THAT THE STANDARD FOR VOTER APPROVAL OF A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT PROPOSED BY THE LEGISLATURE IS A MAJORITY OF ALL THE VOTES TALLIED UPON THE QUESTION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to modify the standard for approval for legislatively proposed constitutional amendments.

Specifically, the measure proposes that the Constitution of the State of Hawaii be amended to change the standard for voter approval of legislatively proposed constitutional amendments so that only ballots that indicate a "no" vote on the constitutional amendment be counted as "no".

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Pride at Work - Hawaii, Stonewall Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Rainbow Family 808, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, and seven individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from numerous individuals.

Your Committee finds that the current, two-fold standard can make the actual threshold for passage of a state constitutional amendment significantly higher than fifty percent of voters voting "yes" or "no" on any particular constitutional amendment ballot question. Your Committee believes that the constitutional amendment proposed by this measure to make amendments effective only if approved by a majority of votes tallied will reduce confusion among voters and prevent unintended results.

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 S.B. No. 1225 and recommends that it pass Third Reading.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair