STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2732

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE: S.B. No. 2381

S.D. 2

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2024

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2381, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC FINANCING FOR CANDIDATES TO ELECTED OFFICE,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish and appropriate moneys for a voluntary comprehensive public financing program for the campaigns of candidates seeking state and county elected offices, beginning with the 2028 general election.

Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from the Campaign Spending Commission; Chamber of Sustainable Commerce; Sierra Club of Hawaii; Hope Services Hawaii; Free Access Coalition; Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii; Public Citizen; Veterans for Peace, Hawaii Chapter 113; American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii; We Are One, Inc.; HULI PAC; Our Hawaii; Lahaina Strong; Green Party of Hawaii; Democratic Party of Hawaii; 350 Hawaii; Campaign Legal Center; Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action; Malama Kauai; Our Revolution Hawaii; Indivisible Hawaii; Common Cause; and numerous individuals.

Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from forty-six individuals.

Your Committee recognizes that, in the past, Hawaii has led efforts to facilitate the public financing of campaigns, and the State currently has a partial public funding program. Your Committee finds merit in the adoption of a comprehensive public financing program, as similar programs in other states have allowed candidates to campaign for public office without relying on private sources of funds and have limited the undue influence of lobbyists, political parties, political action committees, businesses, unions, and other entities.

Your Committee has amended this measure by:

(1) Referring to counties by their names instead of their populations;

(2) Excluding the prosecuting attorney for the County of Maui from the program, as that office-holder is appointed, not elected;

(3) Deleting certain references to the Campaign Spending Commission to make the county clerks solely responsible for verifying certain qualifying information relating to candidates;

(4) Clarifying the purpose of the progress reports that are to be submitted to the Legislature;

(5) Deleting appropriation-related provisions for the Campaign Spending Commission; and

(6) Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, 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 S.B. No. 2381, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2381, S.D. 2.

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

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DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair