Public campaign financing bill revived

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief

House and Senate lawmakers are once again pushing bills to dramatically increase public money available to candidates for Honolulu City Council.

Last month, the campaign finance reform effort had appeared dead for the session after three Senate committees indefinitely deferred action on the bill. But lawmakers revived the measure yesterday with a voice vote on the House floor to amend Senate Bill 932 to include public financing of campaigns.

The measure would create a pilot project for the 2002 election. Candidates would receive up to $80,000 in public money to run for Honolulu City Council.

To qualify for public financing, candidates would have to collect $2 contributions from 250 voters. Candidates who choose not to participate would be allowed to solicit contributions as they do today.

Supporters said the measure would give candidates a chance to win a council seat without money from "special interest" campaign contributors.

House Majority Whip Brian Schatz, D-24th (Makiki-Tantalus), said campaign finance reform is needed to restore confidence in democracy, and "make the idea of one person-one vote more of a reality."

Some House Republicans such as Rep. Bob McDermott, R-32nd ('Aiea-Salt Lake-üliamanu) objected to the bill. McDermott said he thinks it's galling that public money might be used to finance a candidate he does not support.

"If they are worth their salt, they should be able to raise money without publicly funded campaigns," he said.

The House is scheduled to vote again on the measure tomorrow. It appears likely to be approved and advance to a House-Senate conference committee, where lawmakers will try to reach agreement on the proposal.

The House action was surprising because as recently as last week House Speaker Calvin Say and Senate President Robert Bunda said the public financing bill was dead for the year.

Last month three Senate committees deferred action on the bill, which usually kills it for the year.

The measure was shelved by Cal Kawamoto, Senate Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations chairman; Donna Mercado Kim, Senate Tourism & Intergovernmental Affairs chairwoman; and Judiciary Chairman Brian Kanno.

Those three are among the most successful fund-raisers in the Legislature, and supporters of the public financing bill were angry the bill was killed without a public vote.

Kawamoto, D-19th (Waipahu-Pearl City), said at the time senators were divided on the bill and didn't want to vote on it because they were concerned the vote would become a campaign issue.

Say, D-18th (Palolo-St. Louis-Kaimuki), said last week he didn't want to "jeopardize my relationship with the (Senate) president" by again forwarding to the Senate campaign finance bills that senators were certain to reject.

Bunda, D-22nd (Wahiawa-Waialua-Sunset Beach), said Kim and Kawamoto were against the measure. "The bill is not going to pass in the Senate," he said.

Some senators are continuing to try to move the bill, however.

Sen. Les Ihara, D-10th (Waikiki-Kaimuki) this week put his colleagues on notice he will try to put another draft of the public financing bill on the floor unless the three committees that shelved the bill agree to a public vote on the measure.

Ihara this week wrote to Kawamoto, Kim and Kanno to ask that they schedule committee votes on the bill, and warn them that if they don't, he plans to try to rally enough votes to bring the bill to the Senate floor for a formal vote.

Ihara complained in his letter that House and Senate leaders traditionally have killed bills by deferring them instead of voting on them. "The rationale for this policy is to promote accountability for actions of the Legislature's committees," he wrote.

Kawamoto said he hasn't seen the letter, but added: "We decided not to vote on the bill."