We must jump all over this – now.

Senator Karl Rhoads, Chair of the Judiciary Committee has scheduled SB555 introduced by Senator Les Ihara, banning campaign fundraisers during the legislative session. The committee(s) on JDC has scheduled a public hearing on 02-22-22 9:30 am.

If you go to the “SB555 status” page there is a link to provide testimony in strong support. You must first Register and Sign In. Please note that there is a “Proposed Draft” that changes the language slightly.

Please testify in STRONG SUPPORT before 02-21-22.

In addition, please consider suggesting the committee amend the bill to not just ban fundraisers held during the session, but also ban the solicitation or acceptance of campaign contributions during the session.

Please also spread the word! I mean to every single person on your email list – everybody.

Two legislators have pled guilty and admitted to taking bribes. As the investigation unfolds in the weeks and months ahead, others will no doubt follow.

28 states (but not Hawaiʻi) presently ban legislators from campaign fundraising during the legislative session.

In Hawaiʻi it’s perfectly legal for a legislator, perhaps the Chair of a Committee that’s preparing to decide whether to pass or kill a bill, to solicit campaign contributions from the industry or group who might be impacted by that very same bill.

We must change the law and pass SB555.

Please take a moment to read “Corruption By Any Other Name Is Still Corruption” Civil Beat: (4 minutes).

After you submit testimony, and after you share this with your friends and neighbors – take the extra time if you can to let your own district Senator know of your strong support for SB555.

Let’s do this. *Scroll down for the minimum wage issue update.

Gary Hooser
Pono Hawaiʻi Initiative

*if you receive this email forwarded from a friend and would like to receive my email updates directly Please opt-in – “Hawaii Policy and Politics”: at https://policy-and-politics.mailchimpsites.com

Note on minimum wage issue: As expected, though HB2510 is inferior to SB2018 and unnecessary, the House passed it on the floor yesterday. The following Representatives should be thanked for standing up on for their principles, the needs of working people, and for their votes and remarks given on the floor. The rest of the members either voted in support of delaying the $18 increase until 2030, or flat out opposed $18.

Please take a moment to say mahalo to our strongest friends in the House:

Rep. Jeanne Kapela repkapela@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Please listen to her awesome speech given on the floor of the House!

Rep. Sonny Ganaden repganaden@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Rep. Amy Perruso repperruso@Capitol.hawaii.gov

Rep. Roy Takumi reptakumi@Capitol.hawaii.gov

For the record, while I am disappointed in the failure of some of our friends to support the fundamental provisions contained within SB2018, I remain optimistic that as the issue moves forward they will more closely examine the issue and realize that the phased-in impacts to business as balanced with the benefits to low income working people – warrant strong support.

A great majority of the Representatives say they support increasing the minimum wage, but yet so far have refused to support SB2018 which proposes to increase the minimum wage to phased in increments to reach $18 in 2026. SB2018 has already passed the Senate and has the support of Governor Ige.

The reason for the lack of support by this group is political in nature. There really is no other reason. It’s the internal politics of the House, the political rivalry dynamics with the Senate, and the ego and arrogance of the House Speaker and Labor Chair that are driving this train.