It’s not like the Hawai’i Senate is a model of sunshine and good government, but the House of Representatives just keeps stepping in it.

Frankly, the arrogance of the House is embarrassingly unrestrained.

Case In Point – HB772 – Relating To Campaign Finance

HB772 is intended to stop the sham practice of legislators transferring their own campaign funds to other candidates, friends and colleagues (under the guise of purchasing two tickets to a campaign fundraiser).

Example: Candidate W files a required form announcing a fundraiser at a local bar or restaurant with a $250 – $1,000 ticket price. Legislators X, Y, and Z each buy two $1,000 tickets (using their own campaign funds) and voila…candidate W has just raised $6,000. The 4 of them toss back a few beers, perhaps a glass of wine, and pau – “fundraiser” is over.

According to data on file with the Campaign Spending Commission, the total amount transferred by all House campaign committees, from one candidates campaign account to another different candidates campaign account – using the “two ticket purchase scam” during the 2022 and 2024 election cycle was $427,187.

HB772 was “killed” single-handedly by Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita who refused to schedule it for a hearing.

The top incumbent Representative utilizing this fundraising device during the 2022 and 2024 election cycles was Finance Chair Kyle Yamashita. His campaign contributed $46,250 in “fundraising tickets” benefiting 22 of his candidate friends. Remember, 26 is the magic number in the House. With 26 votes you can be Finance Chair, Speaker, or whatever you like.

HB772 was referred to House Finance by Speaker Nadine Nakamura even though it has no impact on the state budget whatsoever – zero, zip, nada.

Speaker Nakamura chose not to refer HB413 and HB371 to Finance even though both involve regulating campaign contributions in other areas (lobbyists and contractors), and both also have zero budget impacts. Only HB772 was doomed to go to Finance whose Chair utilized the targeted provisions more than any other member in the entire House of Representatives.

Next in line among incumbent Representatives “buying fundraiser tickets” is Vice Speaker Linda Ichiyama with $44,500 during this same period. Next is Majority Leader Sean Quinlan $19,900, Minority Caucus Leader Gene Ward $19,235, House Speaker Nadine Nakamura $19,150, and Majority Caucus Leader Christopher Todd $17,500 – all of whom are members of House Leadership.

The total amount given in the 2022 and 2024 election periods by the above 6 Representatives, in the form of “two tickets to your fundraiser” = $166,535

The top House beneficiary of the two ticket money transfer game in the 2024 election cycle was (now Representative) Michael Lee who raked in $19,563 from other House members and defeated the incumbent Representative Natalia Hussey-Burdick.

So no, they ain’t gonna pass no stinking bill taking away their ability to help their friends and punish those Representatives who don’t toe the line.

And they ain’t gonna change the rules either.

But they could.

Stay with me please.

Existing House rules say in essence:

1 – The Speaker has “referral” authority over which committees a bill must pass through in order to become law.

2 – Committee Chairs control which bills to schedule.

3 – Bills may be referred to Finance whether or not there’s a budget impact. (HB772 has zero impact)

The below three straight-forward yet systemic rule changes would eliminate the inherent corruption of process now in place – exemplified by the killing of HB772.

1 – “Bill drafting agency staff” independently makes referral recommendations with final referral approved by a legislative referral committee – (model used in State Senate)

2 – All bills “heard and passed” by a committee, shall be scheduled, heard, and voted on, by the subsequent committee. (This prevents Chairs from killing these “active” bills behind closed doors, without a public discussion or vote.)

3 – Only bills with budget impacts may be referred to Finance. (“Pure policy” bills may not be referred to and thus possibly “killed” by Finance.)

Boom Kanani. That’s it.

If these three changes had been proposed and approved on January 17 when the House amended and approved its rules, HB772 ending the two ticket money transfer charade, would still be alive.

Unfortunately, the House Advisory Committee on Rules and Procedures met only in secret so the public will never know if these important proposed rule changes were even considered.

Which is why 8 Hawai’i residents are now suing the House.

Gary Hooser
garyhooser.com
8 years – Kaua`i County Council

8 years – Hawai’i State Senate – 4 as Majority Leader
Former Vice Chair Democratic Party of Hawai’i
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