Senator gives up power over campaign reform
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
In a move that government watchdogs say will improve chances of solid campaign finance reform this year, Sen. Cal Kawamoto said yesterday he will step back from handling campaign finance bills.
Bruce Asato • The Honolulu Advertiser
Campaign finance bills have been referred to Kawamoto's Transportation, Military Affairs and Government Operations Committee for years, and campaign watchdog groups and even House Democratic leaders have called for Kawamoto to stay out of the issue.
Sen. Cal Kawamoto, whose campaign finances are under scrutiny, says he'll step back.
But Kawamoto, whose campaign finances are under investigation by the state Campaign Spending Commission, said the investigation and media reports about it have created such a "cloud" over him that he will not be involved in campaign finance legislation this session.
Kawamoto said the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee will take the lead on campaign finance and election bills. He will still be able to vote on the issues.
"To avoid the cloud being the issue and let campaign spending be the issue, to get a fair hearing on the bill, I'm willing to step back," Kawamoto, D-18th (Waipahu, Crestview, Pearl City), told The Advertiser.
"I feel that with all the negative publicity that is going on, whether fairly or unfairly, ... the effect of a good campaign spending bill will be tarnished, and I don't want to do that."
Committee leaders and negotiators in conference committees have significant influence and control over the fate of bills. They can change how legislation is phrased and prevent bills from receiving a full floor vote.
Last month, Kawamoto introduced controversial bills that would give the Senate the power to fire the Campaign Spending Commission's executive director without cause and appoint members of the commission. The bills have been referred to the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee where chairwoman Colleen Hanabusa, D-21st (Nanakuli, Makaha), has said she will not give them a hearing.
Kawamoto yesterday brushed off accusations by others that he's against campaign finance reform.
"I've always been in favor of reform," he said. "I'm asking for fair reform."
Still, advocates of campaign finance reform called the development good news.
"I think now things are looking better this year for campaign finance reform," said Jean Aoki, legislative chairwoman of the League of Women Voters.
House Majority Whip Brian Schatz said Kawamoto is not the only lawmaker who has resisted reform over the years but "this does represent the shift in momentum that we need."
"I think this means the chances for real reform just shot up significantly," said Schatz, D-25th (Makiki, Tantalus). "I think it demonstrates that the Legislature won't allow this issue to get stopped by one or two individuals anymore."
Senate President Robert Bunda, D-22nd (North Shore, Wahiawa), said he and Kawamoto had a discussion on Monday "about taking a breather and stepping aside on campaign spending and elections bills." The decision, Bunda said, was mutual.
In addition to campaign finance reform legislation, Kawamoto said he will also give up control over so-called "clean elections" legislation intended to establish a public financing program for legislative candidates who agree to abide by limits on contributions and expenditures.
Bunda said the Senate has been talking with the House about resurrecting the campaign spending bill that was carried over from last session and is now in conference committee. Schatz said it is still unclear whether the House will agree to focus on the conference committee bill or let a new campaign finance reform bill work its way through the legislative process this session.
Last year, the House rejected the campaign finance reform bill, Senate Bill 459, in the final hours of the session. While the House and other advocates wanted government contractors, corporations and unions to be banned from contributing to candidates, the bill that emerged out of conference exempted low-bid contractors, allowed all contractors to finance lawmakers' campaigns, and tossed out the corporation and union bans.
Kawamoto and other senators involved in the negotiations hailed the bill as a good first step, but the House and the other advocates said it wasn't strong enough.
On the issue of Kawamoto's investigation, commission executive director Robert Watada has said the commission received a citizen complaint last year about charitable contributions made by Kawamoto's campaign and how the campaign was reporting contributions it received for an annual Waipahu community picnic event it sponsored.
The contributions from individuals and companies were listed not as contributions to the campaign but as donations by the campaign to the community event, Watada said.
Kawamoto insists that his political campaign did nothing wrong and said he's disappointed he will not be involved in the campaign reform legislation.
"I'm disappointed because I cannot do my job," he said. "I'll step back because the bill is more important than me."
Reach Lynda Arakawa at larakawa@honoluluadvertiser.com or at 525-8070.
