EDITORIAL
Some good ideas still in play at Legislature
A little more than halfway through its 2005 session, the Hawai'i Legislature has an impressive list of accomplishments — or rather, potential accomplishments — before it.
The seeds are there for a productive session. But whether they sprout depends on a fair amount of political courage, a willingness to compromise and strength to do what is right in the face of wavering and varying tax collection projections.
One senses a reasonable amount of cooperation between the Democratic-controlled legislature and Republican Gov. Linda Lingle. On some fronts, such as early childhood education and providing tax relief to low-income residents, they are in step, at least on broad goals if not on the details.
One area where the Legislature steps off track comes in a package of bills nicknamed "handcuff" bills, in that they seek to restrict the wide-ranging powers of the governorship.
One bill would require the governor to release all funds appropriated by the Legislature unless an actual revenue shortfall would occur. This goes too far.
Another unneeded bill would give the Legislature oversight authority over executive orders, a plan that wrongly breaks down the separation-of-powers concept.
A third measure would require the governor to hold a public hearing prior to holding back spending approved by the Legislature. Public hearings are always a good thing, but the implication here is that the spending restrictions could or should be modified as a result. That sets the wrong precedent.
Worth pursuing
Among a number of measures still in play worth pursuing are:
• A collection of campaign spending "reform" measures that — while far from perfect — would bring much-needed order to our unruly system of financing elections in Hawai'i. One would place new limits on out-of-state and corporate contributions, which matches the federal law.
But the ban should apply to union contributions as well. The Senate version exempts unions, which would be patently unfair.
• Another would require a paper audit trail for electronic voting machines, a critical change needed to ensure confidence in our electoral system.
• On tax relief for the poor, the goals are clear but approaches differ. We applaud the determination to ease the income tax burden on the less affluent, even in the face of shaky tax collections.
The administration leans toward increasing the standard deduction and adjusting tax brackets. The Legislature prefers an earned income tax credit for the working poor.
All three approaches have merit. The best package would be to determine how much the state can "afford" and then combine all three approaches.
• Transit remains alive as a topic, primarily in the form of the question of how money would be raised to pay for it. Granting the counties authority to raise their own transit tax is the proper approach if — and only if — this new tax is not used as an excuse to cut back other state support or grants-in-aid to the counties.
If that happens, it is a back-door tax increase, pure and simple.
It is also critical that the bill state, without question, that this tax is for transit only and would be raised only after a publicly acceptable transit plan is developed and approved by the appropriate county.
• In the area of civil rights, lawmakers have kept alive a commendable bill that would prohibit discrimination in real estate transactions based on sexual orientation or gender identity. This bill is a matter of fairness.
• One of the biggest issues facing Hawai'i today is that of long-term care. While lawmakers have unfortunately shied away from tackling this matter head-on, they are moving a bill that offers a tax credit for the purchase of long-term-care insurance. This is a first, tentative step toward what must be a global solution to this serious matter.
• One area where legislators should listen to the administration is in the area of affordable housing. The administration has come up with a plan that addresses, and links, the related issues of homelessness and housing affordable for the working lower and middle classes.
A solid affordable-housing package could be a remembered hallmark of the 2005 session.
In all, there is much to be hopeful about in the legislative work product thus far. The trick will be having the courage, determination and fairness to see these good ideas through to the end.
