Clerical error forces special legislative session

By Kevin Dayton and Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

A clerical mistake by staff at the Legislature evidently will force lawmakers to return to the state Capitol next week for a five-day special session that will cost taxpayers approximately $15,000.

Staff in the House clerk's office erred by sending the $215 million two-year judiciary budget and the $14 million two-year OHA budget to Gov. Ben Cayetano on May 1 before the Senate had a chance to cast final votes on the measures.

House Chief Clerk Patricia Mau-Shimizu said officials in the governor's office discovered the error and sent the bills back on the evening of May 1. The Senate then voted on the measures May 3, and returned them to the governor.

However, Mau-Shimizu said she has been told that the state attorney general's office believes the sequence of events may invalidate the measures.

Under the Constitution, the governor has only three options when bills are sent to him: He may veto the measures, sign them or allow them to become law without his signature. Sending them back to the Legislature for further action was apparently not an option, she said.

Cayetano is expected to veto the flawed bills, and House Speaker Calvin Say, D-18th (Palolo-St. Louis-Kaimuki), is expected to call together Democratic and Republican House leaders today to propose a special session to pass new versions of the flawed bills.

The special session is tentatively planned to begin Monday and adjourn Friday.

Mau-Shimizu said it would cost $15,000 to $16,000, which would mostly be spent on airfare, food and lodging for Neighbor Island lawmakers.

Senate President Robert Bunda, D-22nd (Wahiawa, Waialua, Sunset Beach), said the Senate doesn't plan to address other issues during the special session.