EDITORIAL
Legislature 2004 has a chance to succeed
While the 2004 Legislature is far from completing its business, there are signs that this could be an unusually productive session.
Much attention has been paid to the differences between the Lingle administration and the Democrat-controlled Legislature, particularly on the issue of public school reform. But as The Advertiser's Gordon Pang reports, a substantial amount of Gov. Linda Lingle's agenda is either passing or still under consideration.
Our fundamental hope is that the Legislature and the governor come to terms on education reform that is meaningful, effective and forward-thinking. It would be a tragedy if the energy and momentum on education gained so far is lost to partisan gamesmanship.
But education is not the only game this year. A quick look at bills both alive and languishing offers substantial hope for a positive session. A sampling:
• Campaign spending. Senate Bill 183 recognizes the independence of the Campaign Spending Commission and the Office of Elections. This is important, because these two agencies, and the Ethics Commission as well, should be as free of political influence as possible.
• Public contracts. Senate Bill 3198 seeks to break the nexus between those who contribute to political campaigns and those who receive government contracts. If it passes, this would be an important step in breaking the appearance, if not the reality, of a quid pro quo between government work and political contributions.
• Capital investments. This important measure (SB 3024) keeps alive the high-tech investment credit known as Act 221. It eliminates some of the loopholes in the original act, forces greater public disclosure of the beneficiaries of the law and creates a new source of financing for high-tech companies beyond the start-up phase.
Despite some flaws, Act 221 has put Hawai'i on the path toward true economic diversification.
• Public schools. This is clearly the keynote issue of the year. Legislators appear reluctant to approve Gov. Lingle's proposal to break up the centralized state school board into seven or more local boards.
If that is to be the case, then lawmakers are obligated to provide their own substantive alternative.
HB 2002, which includes a "weighted" formula for school financing and a training academy for principals, could be the vehicle if it is sincerely crafted and implemented.
A related measure, which would rewrite the Constitution to give the Board of Education "exclusive jurisdiction" over management and operation of public schools, should be held back for further debate.
If public schools are truly to become a fourth branch of government, the public needs to know a lot more about how that would work. In fact, a constitutional amendment is not really needed. If lawmakers and administrators simply stepped aside and allowed educators to do their job, the intent of this measure would be achieved.
• Drugs. There is no one answer to the plague of drugs, particularly crystal methamphetamine. There is a sincere disagreement between the Legislature and the governor over whether to put fresh resources into more treatment or additional law enforcement tools. Both sides recognize the need for treatment as well as the importance of enforcement.
The issue is striking the correct balance.
House Bill 2003 and its companion, SB 3233, appear to achieve that balance. It is imperative that community momentum on the drug problem not be lost in a dispute over relatively minor differences in approach.
• Energy. Quietly, several progressive energy bills are making progress this year.
One, SB 2474, would require electric utilities to ramp up to a point where as much as 30 percent of their power comes from renewable sources by the year 2020. Our only concern is that the time frame for this is, if anything, too slow.
The utility companies have been actively working on alternative, renewable sources of power. Beyond setting a standard that they should hit, the state should offer encouragement, in the form of research support, tax credits or other incentives designed to make renewable energy a statewide reality.
A related bill, HB 2048, would encourage the proactive use of net metering, in which buildings or other facilities that produce their own power can run excess power back "into the grid." This lowers costs and lessens the need for centralized power production.
This is only a sampling of what is up this year at the Legislature. If lawmakers keep their focus, avoid (as much as is possible) worrying about the upcoming election and concentrate on the needs of the state, this could be a productive session indeed.
