Lawmakers pushing ethics reform

By Gordon Y.K. Pang
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

The newly formed Good Government Legislative Caucus hopes to push through a package of 26 bills this session focused on campaign and ethics reform, public information and open government, and improved cable access.

Sens. Gary Hooser, D-7th (Kaua'i, Ni'ihau), and Les Ihara, D-9th (Palolo, Kapahulu, Kaimuki), said they hope to pick up support from Gov. Linda Lingle, who has made restoring trust in government one of her top three priorities.

"I believe we're expecting to be able to work in partnership with the governor on these issues," Ihara said Monday.

He said Lingle had mentioned one caucus-endorsed proposal — doing away with the requirement that polling precinct chairs be members of the incumbent governor's party — in her State of the State address last week.

Another bill would eliminate voter registration deadlines and Social Security requirements from voter registration and give voters easier access to absentee ballots.

The caucus also supports a "clean elections" bill that would provide for full public financing of House campaigns, a concept that would have applied to City Council candidates in proposals that failed the last two years.

In the area of ethics reform, one bill would prohibit legislators from voting on most bills that affect their financial interests, and create ethics committees in both houses to look into alleged conflict-of-interest situations.

A Sunshine Law bill would ban proxy voting and require public notice of floor votes and hearings for legislative rules. The caucus also wants to bolster the embattled Office of Information Practices with measures that, among other things, would create an independent five-member panel that would appoint its executive director.

The initiatives have the support of a number of good-government groups under the umbrella of the Hawai'i Pro Democracy Initiative.

Reach Gordon Y.K. Pang at gpang@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.