Close loopholes in campaign finance laws

Hawai'i lawmakers are making a big show of taking steps to keep scandals out of government. But a campaign finance reform bill headed for the Senate Ways and Means Committee still leaves the door open to continued problems, even though it appears to fall in line with federal law.

The latest version of a measure introduced by Sen. Colleen Hanabusa stops short of banning all the big players from making direct contributions to political campaigns. While corporations and unions are barred from making such donations, a provision that would have prohibited any government contractor from contributing was deleted from the bill.

The committee might have been swayed by testimony from potential contractors who argued they never know when they might get a government job, so they would never know when to stop contributing.

Precisely. The whole point is to break the nexus between people who get government work and people who give politicians money.

Bob Watada, executive director of the state Campaign Spending Commission, says the link between contributions and contracts must be severed if our election system is to regain credibility.

In fact, it could come as a relief to many contractors who feel pressured to make contributions that those expectations have been outlawed.

Congress appears to be finally moving in support of real campaign finance reform. Hawai'i's effort should be just as sincere and, if anything, more sweeping.