House Members opposing rule changes will claim there are “too many bills” and time does not allow every bill to receive a hearing and a vote.
A quick google search shows that The Colorado and North Dakota constitutions require a hearing on every bill assigned to House and Senate committees.
In New Hampshire every bill introduced and referred to a committee must have a public hearing unless the rules are suspended by two-thirds of the members present.
New Hampshire does not have bill introduction limits.
These are 3 examples and I’m sure there are others but I’ve not had time to properly research each state legislative chamber to determine how each does it.
The Colorado and New Hampshire “legislative sessions” are approximately the same length as Hawaii. In North Dakota, the House and Senate sit for only 80 days in odd-numbered years.
“Twenty-one chambers currently impose a limit on the number of bills that a member may introduce or request to be drafted.”
Arizona House
California Senate and Assembly
Colorado Senate and House
Florida House
Indiana Senate and House
Louisiana Senate and House
Montana Senate and House
Nevada Senate and Assembly
New Jersey Senate and General Assembly
North Carolina House
North Dakota Senate and House
Tennessee Senate
Wyoming Senate
Proponents of bill introduction limits feel that the limits reduce the number of “hero bills” going through the system, and the duplication. The idea is not to restrict lawmakers’ work, but to reduce the amount of time spent on superfluous proposals and to allow more time for substantive legislation.
In addition to limiting bill introduction there are many other ways to deal with the issue of “too many bills and too little time”. The below are off the “top of my head” and I am sure there are other means to accomplish similar goals
1) Extend the legislative session by inserting additional “recess days” in order to hold more hearings. There is no need to amend the constitution in order to add additional days for public hearings…it is only “session days” that count toward the constitutional limit language.
2) “Gang” hearings to allow all versions of specific subject matter bills to be heard at once, then choose one to pass as the “vehicle” and amend as needed from content of other bills. At the moment – Grant In Aid requests are heard all at once in a very long single hearing.
3) Require bills that receive X number of sponsor signatures to receive a hearing and vote. Could be 1/3 or the body or a the committee or 1/2 or whatever threshold. Could require all bills to be circulated to every member of the body regardless of Party for signature and co-sponsorship
4) Those bills not selected by the Chair or via some other process to be heard could be “circulated” to the committee after public notification allowing the public time to comment – then after reviewing the public comment – the committee members could “sign off” yay or nay as to whether the bill should have a hearing or not and majority decides.
5) Hawaii has a two year legislative cycle, Bills introduced in the first year remain alive in the second year unless heard and voted down. The current practice is for legislators to reintroduce bills in the second year, even though they remain alive and have carried over from the first year. This practice can be revisited to reduce the number of bills introduced.
I’m hoping others in support of the rule changes will engage also in the research needed. I know there is a wealth of knowledge and examples of how other states do it…it just takes some work to drill down.
“Any session may be recessed by concurrent resolution adopted by a majority of the members to which each house is entitled. Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, the days in mandatory recess and any days in recess pursuant to a concurrent resolution shall be excluded in computing the number of days of any session.” From Hawaii Constitution
National Chamber of State Legislatures (NCSL)
https://www.ncsl.org
The Council of State Governments (CSG)
Other info at https://www.nga.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/CSG-book-of-the-states-2021.pdf
If you haven’t done so please consider signing this petition https://tinyurl.com/ycyka2pm and joining with thousands of others across the islands in the movement for change.
GaryHooser's Blog 
Excellent contribution, Gary. Where’s a will there’s a way. Now need to focus on activating the will.
Yes…Please help circulate the petition…these names will send a strong message to those legislators who live in the signers district. If you haven’t done so please consider signing this petition https://tinyurl.com/ycyka2pm and joining with thousands of others across the islands in the movement for change.
Gary, In addition to your excellent suggestions, many of us who rue the lack of an initiative process in Hawaii, would also like to see some sort of mechanism to drive (popular) legislation from the grass roots up. Is this too scary for leadership? It might get more kanaka interested in participating too. Isn’t that what we all (say we) want? So tired of the game that’s an insiders only affair. Open it up, sunshine is the best disinfectant! 🌞
Rob Culbertson
I agree…gotta keep pushing and keep finding new candidates who support and are willing to fight for these things.
Thank you Gary. The main thing is that at some point on each bill the majority of legislators in committee or on full floor vote get to express their vote as they see fit. That way it is easier to see who stands for what and they can be held accountable next election.
Whatever systems that support the above principle.