Convention secrecy passes Senate, awaits signature

By Lynda Arakawa and Kelly Yamanouchi
Advertiser Staff Writers

The Senate passed a measure yesterday to keep private the names of some organizations holding events at the Hawai'i Convention Center. The measure now goes to Gov. Linda Lingle for her signature.

The Senate voted 14-11 to approve the bill, which allows operators of the public facility to keep under wraps information on the company, event and rental contract until 10 days after the event is over.

Opponents of Senate Bill 2395 said it infringes on the public's right to know who is using the convention center, particularly affecting those who may want to protest a convention, residents who live in the area and people who want to know whether their tax money is being wisely spent on the center.

"The bill would establish for the first time a public policy that explicitly and unequivocally and I would say blatantly exempts Hawai'i's open-records law for a purely economic reason," said Sen. Les Ihara, D-9th (Kapahulu, Kaimuki, Palolo). "And I believe if we do this, particularly in this fashion, this opens the door to other facilities and other agencies in the state seeking a similar exemption for a purely economic purpose."

Tourism officials say the secrecy is needed to bring more conventions to Hawai'i, particularly from companies confidentially discussing new products or who are squeamish about revealing that they are traveling to Hawai'i.

Lingle's tourism liaison, Marsha Wienert, has supported the measure.

"This is not an attempt to keep stuff secret," said Rex Johnson, executive director of the Hawai'i Tourism Authority. "This is an attempt to keep us competitive from a convention center standpoint."

Senate Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chairwoman Colleen Hanabusa noted that the bill does not promote "pure secrecy" because it does not apply to disclosure to legislators.

"I trust the members of this legislative body, both the Senate and the House, will be there to assure that nothing goes forward that in fact would infringe upon the rights of the public, that if they believe something should be known they would come forward and they would do their job as legislators," said Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha).

Ihara said: "I wonder though, 'why give legislators access to this information and not citizens?' "

Reach Lynda Arakawa at 525-8070 or at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com.

Reach Kelly Yamanouchi at 535-2470 or at kyamanouchi@honoluluadvertiser.com.