BILLS THAT PASSED, OR FAILED, AT THE LEGISLATURE
Government

Advertiser Staff

Campaign spending
(SB 2431 SD2 HD1 CD1)
Bans government contracts to companies that made political contributions in the previous two years. The ban does not apply to companies where only minority owners — those with less than 25 percent ownership — made donations, or if the candidate was not running for an office, such as mayor or governor, that awards or influences the awarding of government contracts. The bill also limits the total amounts corporations and unions can make directly to a political campaign, but allows corporations to contribute an unlimited amount to a political action committee.

State budget
(HB 1800 HD1 SD1 CD1)
Appropriates about $3.5 billion from the state general treasury to finance government for the year beginning July 1. Also earmarks about $450 million for new state construction projects.

Convicted officials
(HB 771 HD1 SD1 CD1)
Provides that if an elected official is convicted of a crime that disqualifies that person from office, the date the elected official must step down is the date of conviction, not the date of sentencing.

Elections
(HB 2843 SD2 CD1)
Requires automatic ballot recounts in elections when the vote difference is one-eighth of one percent for statewide races or one-fourth of one percent for other races. Requires special elections to be conducted by mail and requires separate ballots for each political party.

Job cuts
(HB 2821 HD1 SD2 CD1)
Abolishes the positions of deputy and first assistant in all state departments except the Department of Education and the University of Hawai'i.

Legislators' qualifications
(HB 1012 SD1 CD1)
Puts a question on the ballot asking voters whether the state constitution should be amended to require legislative candidates to be qualified voters in the district they hope to represent before filing their election nomination papers. Currently candidates do not need to be qualified voters in the district until election day.

Pension payoff
(HB 2460 HD2)
Extends the deadline for the state and counties to pay off the unfunded liability of the public workers' pension fund, allowing the state and counties to contribute less each year to cover future pension benefits. Currently the state and counties must make payments so the pension fund will be fully funded by 2016, but this bill extends that deadline to 2029.

Union health plans
Would have allowed public worker unions to continue to operate their own health plans. This would have partially rolled back so-called health fund reform legislation passed a year ago that abandoned that practice. The bill passed the Senate but failed in the House.

Recall lawmakers
Would have allowed the recall and removal of state lawmakers when voters gathered petition signatures from 25 percent of the voters in the lawmakers' district. The bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate.

Forfeited benefits
Would forfeit service time toward pension and retirement health benefits for elected officials who are ousted for felony convictions, provided the crime was committed within the course of the officials' duties. The bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate.

Impeachment
Would have allowed for the impeachment of the governor, lieutenant governor and appointed officials by a majority vote of the state House of Representatives. The state Senate would have conducted a trial in cases of impeachment. The bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate.

Family conflicts
Would prohibit employees from taking official action directly affecting a brother, sister, parent, emancipated child, or household member. The bill passed the House but stalled in the Senate.