A proposed statewide public financing program for political campaigns was once again shot down Wednesday, even as a raft of election reform measures remain alive.
The House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs deferred action on Senate Bill 51, a so-called “clean elections” measure that would have established a program which would allow county and state candidates to receive public funds for their campaigns, as long as they met certain guidelines.
As proposed in the measure, candidates could choose to avail themselves of public funds as long as they met a minimum amount of qualifying donations from outside sources. For example, a gubernatorial candidate would need to have received donations of $5 from 6,250 donors, while a Hawaii County Council member would require only 50 donations of $5.
Beneficiaries of the program would be prohibited from funding their campaign from other sources.
Seed money — outside contributions to a candidate to determine the viability of a campaign — would have been permitted so long as it didn’t exceed $5,000 or 5%, whichever is greater, of the total public funds available to that candidate.
The measure proposed that a gubernatorial candidate could receive $2.5 million between primary and general election campaigns, with two-thirds available for the primary and the remainder for the general. A Hawaii County mayoral candidate could get $360,000, split the same way.
A Hawaii County Council member could get $20,000, the lowest amount for a council race in any county.
The state currently allows for partial public campaign funding, wherein the Campaign Spending Commission will match a candidate’s qualifying contributions dollar-for-dollar, up to a certain expenditure limit based on the number of registered voters in each district.
Bills similar to SB 51 have been proposed each legislative session for the past several years, with supporters arguing the measures could level the playing field in a climate where candidates can only realistically mount a campaign if they are already wealthy or in hock to lobbyist groups.
Aria Juliet Castillo, speaking for political group Hawaii Alliance for Progressive Action, told the House committee on Wednesday that Hawaii’s voter turnout has declined due to voter apathy: 28 House incumbents had no primary challengers last year, and 15 races had no opponents in the general election.
“When the same candidates run unopposed, year after year, people lose faith that their vote even matters or will make a difference,” Castillo said. “And when the voter turnout stays low, new candidates look at the numbers and ask, ‘why even try?’”
Castillo said competition is vital for democracy and brings out better ideas from and greater accountability for elected officials. But with such a high barrier of entry, few working-class citizens can launch a competitive campaign.
“If we want a democracy that works for everyone, we need to make sure we all have a fair shot at running for office,” Castillo said.
Fellow advocate Evan Weber said concerns about the cost of the proposed program could be alleviated by removing certain races from eligibility.
But Rep. David Tarnas, who represents Waimea and Waikoloa and chairs the committee, recommended deferring the measure. He raised concerns about the possible cost of the program, but also said he doesn’t want to compete with a related bill that passed through his committee Wednesday.
That bill, Senate Bill 345, raises the matching fund ratio of the Partial Public Financing Program, allowing the Campaign Spending Commission to match a candidate’s qualifying contributions with $2 for every $1 raised.
Several other election reform measures succeeded in Wednesday’s committee including SB 1032, which prohibits “foreign entities and foreign-influenced business entities” from making campaign contributions; SB 311, which would amend the state Constitution to clarify that campaign contributions do not qualify as free speech; SB 1030, which would make carrying an unconcealed firearm to a polling station be considered “election fraud intimidation”; and SB 1202, which allows candidates to use campaign funds to cover child care costs and other dependent care under certain conditions.
Email Michael Brestovansky at mbrestovansky@hawaiitribune-herald.com.
