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Thursday, February 23, 2023
House Judiciary Committee Kills off Ethics Reform Bills
By News Release @ 6:49 AM :: 2887 Views :: Ethics

COMMISSION TO IMPROVE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT BILLS TAKE ACTION IN HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE

News Release from House Democratic Caucus, Feb 23, 2023

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – Members of the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs (JHA) yesterday took action on sixteen measures that were introduced by Speaker Scott K. Saiki, on behalf of the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct (CISC) Final Report[i].

"The House is appreciative to the Commission members who contributed their knowledge in reviewing our existing laws and offering recommendations. We sincerely appreciate the public's testimony on these measures," said JHA Chair David A. Tarnas (D-8, North & South Kohala).

The following CISC bills passed out of JHA for second reading:

HB 707 – Relating to False Claims

HD1 with amendments.

HB 710 – Relating to Government

HD1 with amendments.

HB 711 – Relating to Fraud

HD1 with amendments.

HB 712 – Relating to Recordings of Public Meetings

HD1 with amendments.

HB 717 – Relating to Nepotism

Rep. Tarnas said that the House has adopted revised House Rules regarding nepotism. He recommended passing a HD1 with amendments to focus on establishing a nepotism policy for state employment, and to include a section regarding hanai relationships.

HB 723 – Relating to the Sunshine Law

Rep. Tarnas suggested moving forward a HD1 with amendments to clarify which legislative committees must be subject to the sunshine law.

HB 724 – Relating to Campaign Contributions

HB 726 – Relating to Campaign Contributions

The following measures were deferred with justification provided by Chair Tarnas:

HB 705 – Relating to Legislative Allowance

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB136 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 21.

HB 706 – Relating to Financial Disclosures

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as JHA passed similar bill HB141 (State Ethics Commission Package) for second reading on February 21.

HB 708 – Relating to Lobbyists

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB137 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 13.

HB 709 – Relating to Mandatory Lobbyist Training

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB138 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 13.

HB 715 – Relating to Gifts from Lobbyists

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB142 (State Ethics Commission Package) for third reading on February 13.

HB 718 – Relating to Preliminary Determination of Probable Cause

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB97 (Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission Package) for third reading on February 8.

HB 721 – Relating to Candidate Committee Expenditures

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as JHA passed similar bill HB94 (Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission Package) on February 1.

HB 722 – Relating to Candidate Committee and Noncandidate Committee Fundraisers

Rep. Tarnas recommended to defer as House passed similar bill HB90 (Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission Package) on February 7.

Additionally, the House yesterday adopted rule changes in the Rules of the House of Representatives of the thirty-second legislature, including the operating procedures for the House Committee on Standards of Conduct, and the House Administrative and Financial Manual. House Rules 29.1–29.3 and 62.5–62.6 incorporate CISC recommendations relating to ethics reform, ethics disclosures, standards of conduct, and conflict of interest and demonstrate the House taking the lead in implementing recommendations made by the Commission.

"The House Committee on Judiciary is thoroughly considering each of the CISC proposals, and the fact that several of them were implemented in the House Rules shows how seriously the House has taken these suggestions," said JHA Chair David A. Tarnas.

Click here to watch a playback of the 2/22 JHA hearing.

---30---

RELATED: After Bribery Arrests: House Adopts New Rules -- Promulgated by Saiki, Tarnas uses these as excuses for killing or amending ethics bills

RELATED: Judiciary Chair Tarnas ‘a key ingredient in the formula for corruption’  --  Tarnas hand-picked by Saiki for job of Killing Ethics Bills that Saiki Pretends to Support

  *   *   *   *   *

HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE TO DISCUSS ETHICS REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS

News release from House Democratic Caucus, Feb 21, 2023

Honolulu, Hawaiʻi – On Wednesday, February 22, the House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs (JHA) will take up sixteen measures pertaining to ethics reform. The measures were introduced by Speaker Scott K. Saiki, on behalf of recommendations outlined in the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct (CISC) Final Report.

"The House is appreciative to the Commission members who contributed their knowledge in reviewing our existing laws and offering recommendations. The public is invited to provide feedback on these sixteen measures," said JHA Chair David A. Tarnas (D-8, North & South Kohala).

WHO: Representative David A. Tarnas, Chair, House Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs (JHA)

Members of the House Committee on JHA

WHAT: The following CISC measures will be heard:

HB 705 – Relating to Legislative Allowance

HB 706 – Relating to Financial Disclosures

HB 707 – Relating to False Claims

HB 708 – Relating to Lobbyists

HB 709 – Relating to Mandatory Lobbyist Training

HB 710 – Relating to Government

HB 711 – Relating to Fraud

HB 712 – Relating to Recordings of Public Meetings

HB 715 – Relating to Gifts from Lobbyists

HB 717 – Relating to Nepotism

HB 718 – Relating to Preliminary Determination of Probable Cause

HB 721 – Relating to Candidate Committee Expenditures

HB 722 – Relating to Candidate Committee and Noncandidate Committee Fundraisers

HB 723 – Relating to the Sunshine Law

HB 724 – Relating to Campaign Contributions

HB 726 – Relating to Campaign Contributions

WHEN: Wednesday, February 22, 2023 -- 2:00 p.m.

WHERE: Conference Room 325

Click here to review the hearing notice.

Click here for the live stream of this meeting via YouTube.

---30---

Feb 19, 2023: Judiciary Chair Tarnas ‘a key ingredient in the formula for corruption’

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