Message likely an appeal to a broader audience

ANALYSIS
Lingle's political success may be in mobilizing support for her ideas outside the Legislature.

Gov. Linda Lingle gave her speech to the Legislature yesterday and also handed out a brochure laying out her proposals. It includes a card that people can return to volunteer to help get her initiatives passed. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau

When Gov. Linda Lingle outlined her legislative agenda yesterday, she wasn't just aiming her message at the lawmakers who control the fate of her initiatives.

The governor was, in perhaps an even bigger way, appealing to the public as well.

Those who attended her State of the State address in the House chambers were handed a 52-page brochure laying out her proposals for this session. The brochure, paid for by the governor's office and posted on Lingle's Web site, includes a card that people can mail to Lingle to express support or volunteer to help get her initiatives passed.

Such an approach is a little unorthodox for a Hawai'i governor, but it appears to be a necessary strategy for Lingle and one that she has become accustomed to as the first Republican governor in 40 years. Democrats hold 56 of the 76 seats in the Legislature.

"It's unusual, but it's smart," said University of Hawai'i political science professor Neal Milner. "It's based on the fundamental premise of her political success as governor, and that is that she has to frequently go outside the Legislature to mobilize her support. And this is another way of doing it."

Marketing agendas in a pretty package is not new. Former Gov. Ben Cayetano published a magazine-type supplement to his 2001 State of the State address that detailed his proposals. But the literature did not solicit the public to help him accomplish his agenda.

Lingle said the brochures are aimed at raising awareness about her proposals and bringing the public into the process. She also noted she is not of the same party as the majority of the House and Senate.

"So I'm going to need, along with our Republican caucuses, I'm going to need the public to be supportive of these measures and convince the Democrats that these are worthwhile things that are in tune with the community."

To be fair, the Democrats in the Legislature have not endorsed every idea proposed by even Democratic governors in the past, and lawmakers have scrapped many initiatives in previous State of the State speeches.

But Lingle has made significant efforts to reach the public and garner support for her ideas, including statewide community "talk story" sessions and public meetings with her committee on education reform. She has also made it clear that she will actively campaign against the Democrats this year and will make the public aware of the issues they did not support, something the Democratic Legislature never had to worry about with previous governors.

The House Democrats — expected to be heavily targeted this election — have also begun community forums and will continue them during the session, said House Majority Leader Scott Saiki, D-22nd (McCully, Pawa'a). The Democratic leadership is also encouraging legislators to keep in contact with their constituents through newsletters and work with groups interested in various issues.

In what may be another way for Lingle to reach the public, she is also pushing for residents to get a chance to vote on constitutional amendments that would establish locally elected school boards, allow public access to sex-offender records, legalize "walk and talk" drug investigations, and require the Legislature to pass a balanced budget.

While the initiatives do technically require a constitutional amendment, this is perhaps another example of the GOP reaching out to the public to change government, Milner said. Political parties that are in control are usually nervous about constitutional amendments, but the Republicans have to keep trying other ways to get their policies established, he said.

"I think it suggests that she feels that the thrust of her politics has to be done outside the Legislature," Milner said.

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