Gov. Josh Green signs batch of government reform bills
Jun. 24—Hawaii has a bunch of new laws designed to make state government, political campaigns and elections more transparent or accountable.
Hawaii has a bunch of new laws designed to make state government, political campaigns and elections more transparent or accountable.
Gov. Josh Green on Friday signed 18 bills aimed at improving trust in local government in the wake of a 2022 corruption scandal involving two state lawmakers.
These bills, passed by the Legislature earlier this year, include one requiring Hawaii legislators to disclose relationships with lobbyists, one prohibiting campaign donations by lobbyists to elected officials during or close to legislative sessions, and one enhancing criminal penalties for public corruption offenses.
"The cumulative effects of these bills will make a difference, " Green said during a ceremony in his office at the state Capitol before signing the bills. "They really will."
Green praised all 18 bills, and commented on a few during the ceremony, saying, "It's going to be a lot more difficult for fundraising to occur during the Legislature. ... It's going to be easier to go after corruption."
The governor also noted that the 18 bills, plus several more that he signed earlier this year dealing with fundraising, ethics, elections and lobbying, represent roughly 10 % of all bills passed by the Legislature this year.
Some of the bills Green signed Friday were recommended by the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct, which the House of Representatives established in 2022 in connection with convictions in 2022 of former Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English and the former vice chair of the House Finance Committee, former Rep. Ty J.K. Cullen, on charges they accepted bribes from a local businessman in exchange for action on legislation.
Daniel R. Foley, a retired state appellate judge who chaired the commission, expressed appreciation of the action by the Legislature and Green after nine months of work by the seven-member commission, which researched issues, held 13 public hearings and produced a 396-page report.
Out of 28 measures recommended by the commission, the Legislature passed 20, including a couple Green signed earlier this year and some he has yet to sign.
"That's a remarkable accomplishment, " Foley said at Friday's ceremony.
One commission-backed bill prohibiting nepotism by state employees, House Bill 717, is still subject to action by Green. Another one, HB 710, broadens the definition of a felony obstruction of justice offense.
Some bills signed Friday were proposed by the state Campaign Spending Commission and the State Ethics Commission.
Rep. David Tarnas, chair of the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, said the commission and the general public helped push the Legislature to pass most of the reform bills introduced this year.
"We listened to the voters, " Tarnas (D, Hawi-Waimea-Waikoloa ) said at the ceremony. "We listened to the Hawaii residents. ... It really was a wave that we rode in order to pass these measures out."
Sen. Les Ihara Jr., majority policy leader in the Senate and a longtime advocate for ethics reform that has not been popular in the past, also credited outside pressure on the Legislature to pass so many good-government bills.
"I've introduced many political reform bills in the past that have failed, but this year many have caught a huge wave of public sentiment caused by the unfortunate corrupt actions of our colleagues, " said Ihara (D, Palolo-Kaimuki-Moiliili ) during the ceremony.
Because this year is the first half of a legislative biennial term, bills recommended by the commission that didn't pass could still be passed in 2024. And there is hope that some will.
Green said he'd like to see more discussion at the Legislature in 2024 on several such bills, including one that would impose term limits on state lawmakers.
"That is something that should be taken up, " he said, noting that a reasonable limit is needed because experience is valuable.
Another such bill Green cited is one that proposed to increase public financing of elections.
Foley also encourages lawmakers to take up those two bills and other commission recommendations in 2024.
"I expect some to pass, " he said.
'Good-government' bills signed Friday
