BREAKING: Clean Elections Unanimously Passes Senate Judiciary Committee
BREAKING: Senate Judiciary Committee Unanimously Passes SB2381 for Full Public Financing of Clean Elections
With a tremendous 270 pages of supportive testimony, the bill heads to Senate Ways & Means Committee Chair Dononvan Dela Cruz. Speaker Saiki’s House companion awaits a hearing.
Link to video of hearing (begins 1:30:00)
HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — On Tuesday, February 6th, 2024 the Hawaiʻi Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously passed SB2381: Relating to Public Financing For Candidates To Elected Office which would establish a full public financing Clean Elections program to help get the corrupting influence of private donations out of Hawaiʻi politics. The bill received an overwhelming 270 pages of supportive testimony from diverse interests, with only 9 individuals testifying in opposition. Last session, at this same hearing, an already impressive 145 pages of supportive testimony were received, representing almost a doubling of support in testimony from the public in the past year.
Supportive testimony mostly came from local, every-day concerned citizens, but supportive testimony was also received from:
The Campaign Spending Commission
Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action
The American Civil Liberties Union
The Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi
The Chamber of Sustainable Commerce
League of Women Voters Hawai‘i
The Sierra Club of Hawai‘i
HOPE Service Hawai‘i
Common Cause Hawai‘i
Lāhainā Strong
Retired Judge Daniel Foley
Former Committee to Improve Standards of Conduct member Nikos Leverenz
Hawai‘i Councilwoman Jennifer Kagiwada
Director of the UH Mānoa Public Policy Center Collin Moore
Former Connecticut State Senator and Deputy Speaker David McCluskey
And many other local and national organizations and businesses
The bill, introduced by almost half of Senators as original co-sponsors and favored by 74% of Hawaiʻi voters, now heads to the Senate Ways and Means Committee where Senator Donovan Dela Cruz must schedule it for a hearing. The House Companion, introduced by Speaker Saiki, awaits a hearing by Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chair David Tarnas.
Excerpts from testimonies:
“Since Public Financing has been adopted, there has not been wholescale ouster of incumbents as was feared. Yes, some incumbents do lose in primaries and general elections, but mostly because they are no longer in touch with their voters, a policy issue or an economic situation, NOT because their opponent was publically funded….In terms of legislative deliberations, incumbents can now vote their convictions and without having to worry as much about being punished in re-election campaigns by well-healed lobbyists and interest groups who used to provide the lion’s share of campaign dollars. Again, this is very liberating to most incumbents and has, in my opinion, significantly improved policy outcomes for Connecticut residents..” — Former CT State Senator David McCluskey, who passed and oversaw CT’s Clean Elections Program
“SB 2381 is an opportunity to lessen the influence of money in politics, give political power to the people, and restore the people’s trust in elections and the legislative process….Public funding for elections is an effective way to engage voters and create participation for a greater diversity of new candidates to run for office.” — Hawai‘i County Councilmember Jennifer Kagiwada
“A representative democracy functions best when it closely mirrors the electorate. And this is accomplished when access to public candidacy isn’t limited by personal wealth or the deep pockets of private interests.” — Josh Frost, ACLU of Hawai‘i
“I chaired the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct which recommended an increase in the public funding of elections, and full public funding as this bill would do if fiscal resources are available. The Commission found "that publicly funded elections help counter the repercussions of Citizens United because public funding expands the reach of many small donors and can relieve candidates of the need to rely on the support of special interest groups or large donors." — Retired Judge Daniel Foley
“Our team uses evidence-based practices to help our neighbors avoid and overcome homelessness, and we achieve above-average results in helping people get housed and stay housed. However, as a non-governmental organization, we cannot change the laws that have led to the status quo. While federal, state, and local governments all bear some level of responsibility, today this committee has an opportunity to address the root of the problem, in a real and meaningful way. When donors who profit by displacing local people are no longer needed to win an election, we can expect to see a shift toward compassionate, equitable, and cost-effective housing policy.” — Brandee Menino, CEO of Hope Services Hawaiʻi, Hawai‘i Island’s largest homeless services provider
“Hawaii has witnessed the detrimental impacts of pay-to-play politics, and it has become increasingly evident how decades of failing to hold utility companies and large private landowners accountable have contributed to the environmental mismanagement that fueled the devastating Maui fires. In light of these challenges, we must take proactive measures to address the root causes of these issues and create a political environment that prioritizes the needs of the community over corporate and special interests….In the aftermath of the wildfires, the importance of community-driven solutions and representation cannot be overstated. SB2381 aligns with the principles of fairness and equity, ensuring that our elected officials are accountable to the people they serve, rather than being disproportionately influenced by financial contributions from select interests.” — Paele Kiakona, Jordan Ruidas, & Courtney Lazo, Lāhainā Strong
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The Clean Elections Hawaiʻi Coalition represents dozens of leading local organizations coordinating to advance a pro-democracy agenda in our islands and help end the corrupting influence of big money on our politics. Supporting organizations include: Common Cause Hawaiʻi, Sierra Club of Hawaiʻi, League of Women Voters of Hawaiʻi, Our Hawaiʻi Action, The Hawaiʻi Workers Center, Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, Lāhainā Strong, Free Access Coalition, Chamber of Sustainable Commerce, Global HOPE (Hawaiʻi Organization for Peace and the Environment), HOPE Services Hawaiʻi, Kauaʻi Women’s Caucus, Friends of Makakilo, Kauhakō ʻOhana Association, Living Wage Hawaii, 350 Hawaiʻi, Democratic Party of Hawaiʻi Education Caucus, Imua Alliance, Pono Hawaiʻi Initiative, Our Revolution Hawaiʻi, LGF Consulting, Community Alliance Partners, Habitat for Humanity Hawaii Island, Going Home Hawaii, Young Progressives Demanding Action, HULI PAC, Holomua Collaborative, League of Women Voters of Honolulu, Malama Makua, Americans for Democratic Action Hawaii, Indivisible Hawaii, Kihei Community Association, Aloha ʻĀina Women’s Patriotic League, Clarity Project, Funder Hui, Saturation Point, Hawaii-Fi, Makawalu Creatives, Energy Transitions, Public Citizen, Rethink Media, and more.
For more information, contact team@cleanelectionshawaii.org
More info on full publicly financed elections:
Current system is failing: Hawaii's political system is corrupt and broken due to its heavy reliance on money. This has led to wealthy donors and special interests wielding too much influence over elected officials. As a result, good policies are often killed while bad ones are passed. This undermines the public's trust in the system and encourages corrupt behavior.
SB2381 is needed to fix our broken system: SB2381 can get money out of politics by freeing candidates from the need to fundraise from special interests and wealthy donors. Breaking the link between private money and winning elections will help bring about a more fair and honest system. This change can lead to candidates who are more responsive to their constituents and better policy outcomes as a result.
A Proven Affordable Program Worth Much More than Its Low Price: Connecticut and Maine have been running successful inexpensive full publicly financed elections systems for decades.Hawai’i County Council had a program like this in 2010 and 2012. If Hawai‘i had participation rates higher than all other existing programs, estimates show annual costs would be less than $10 million per year. That is less than 0.05% of the state budget and the equivalent of under $7 per resident or less than $1 per tourist.
