Hawaii has had a $1000 cap on corporate campaign contributions which has made many lawmakers unhappy. The cap was very effective. For example between 2004 and 2005, before the cap took effect, Republican Governor Linda Lingle raised almost $1 million, but in 2006, with the $1,000 cap in place, she could rake in only $100,000, which is significant because 2006 was an election year, when the fundraising amounts are usually higher.
So this session lawmakers have determined to remove the cap. In a directed vote at yesterday's House Judiciary committee, they got halfway there. The rest of the deed may be accomplished today in the Senate.
Unless there is enough outrage to stop it.
All of the testimony was against removing the caps, including the first public testimony from a reborn Hawaii chapter of Common Cause. All except one person--the accountant for Speaker Calvin Say, who introduced the bill in the House.
It seemed like a backhanded way for a legislator to submit testimony on a bill he introduced that is being heard before a committee chair and vice chair whose fate he holds in his hands--send your accountant to do the dirty work. It was a clear reminder on how the committee was expected to vote.
Despite the overwhelming testimony against it, the bill passed of course.
The only "No" vote (actually a strong "NO!!") was cast by progressive Hawaii Republican Cynthia Thielen. Yes, I think it's possible and accurate to use "progressive" and "Republican" in the same sentence here. Rep. Thielen has not only been a strong champion of alternative energy, for example, before it became fashionable, but she has stood up for many issues concerning senior citizens and other ordinary people of Hawaii.
How did this bill get passed and what can be done about it?
The legislative process, particularly in Hawaii's state House, has suffered from influence and corruption for years. This bill had only a single committeee referral, while most bills suffer two or even three. It was clearly fast-tracked to pass. Most of the committee were not present for the testimony and arrived only minutes before the vote was called. Were they listening in their offices, or were they attending other hearings or doing something else? All we can say is that they weren't present when testimony was given.
The final hint that sausage was being made came when the vice-chair, who had acted as chair until those last few minutes, pulled an amendment out of his (figurative) hat and directed the committee to vote for the bill as amended. Unless some clerk can type at the speed of light, that amendment was prepared before the hearing and known to the vice-chair, but no mention of it was made.
In other words, never mind all the testimony, we have an amendment we're asking you to pass along with this bill.
This is not untypical of how the Hawaii state House passes legislation. They also draft major amendments and announce the availability of the amendment moments before closing up on Friday evenings. The amendment is unavailable for public scrutiny over the weekend of course, and then there is a hearing on Monday. Worse, the amendment is typically crafted with the cooperation of or even entirely by the corporations affected by it.
Someone could write a book about the legislative process in Hawaii's state House and Senate. But if you'd like to do us a favor, help by writing an email to state senators (the companion bill is being heard about two hours from now, SB3141) and representatives. The federal government has barred direct corporate contributions since 1907 and 22 states also do. Ask them to defeat SB3141 and HB2455.
You can email sens@capitol.hawaii.gov and reps@capitol.hawaii.gov and ask them not to remove the caps on corporate contributions to Hawaii legislators.
If you live here now, used to live here, or love Hawaii, you can help keep Hawaii clean, government-wise anyway.
Our lawmakers need to know that there's a right way and wrong way even to make sausage.