The Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission submitted four measures for introduction in the 2019 legislative session, proposing changes for Super PACs, candidate committees and electioneering communications.

Proposal CSC-01 (19) would change the disclosure date for electioneering communications to when the electioneering communication is publicly distributed rather than when the contract for the electioneering communication is executed. Additionally, the expenditure aggregate would be increased to $2,000, all mailings and not just those sent at bulk rate would be covered, and candidate and noncandidate committees would be required to file statements of information.

Proposal CSC-02 (19) would require candidate committees to file a first Preliminary General Report on October 1.

Proposal CSC-03 (19) would impose a $5,000 fine on Super PACs that received at least one contribution of more than $10,000 from any one person or spent more than $10,000 aggregate in an election period and would permit the fine to be up to three times the amount of the unlawful contribution or expenditure. The measure would also call for the fine to be paid from the personal funds of an officer of the noncandidate committee.

Finally, Proposal CSC-04 (19) would require candidates who do not intend to have more than $1,000 in activity to provide notice to the Commission of such intent by June 30 of an election year and to require noncandidate committees who do not intend to have more than $1,000 in activity to provide notice to the Commission of such intent by the fifth calendar day prior to the due date of the Preliminary Primary Report.

The Hawaii State Ethics Commission announced the new electronic filing system for lobbying registrations and disclosures is currently being tested and will not be available in early January as anticipated.

Lobbyists who plan to continue lobbying in 2019 must renew registrations as usual by Monday, January 28.

Lobbying expenditure reports are due as usual on Thursday, January 31.

The Commission will hold a training session on January 7 at 10 a.m. to provide an overview of the lobbying laws.

The Commission has yet to announce a release date for the new e-filing system.

The Hawaii Ethics Commission will launch a new electronic filing system for lobbying registrations and disclosures beginning in January 2019, allowing lobbyists and organizations to register online for the 2019-2020 legislative biennium.

Lobbyists who plan to continue lobbying in 2019 must renew registrations by Monday, January 28, 2019. Commission staff are available to assist lobbyists who have already registered for the 2019-2020 lobbying period via a paper filing.

Lobbying expenditure reports for 2019 may be submitted electronically through the new e-filing system as early as March 2019.

The 29th Hawaii State Legislature adjourned its first special session on Tuesday, July 10.

Lawmakers convened the two-day session to confirm Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald’s judicial nominations for various district courts.

The Senate confirmed Kenneth J. Shimozono, Mahilani E.K. Hiatt, and Wendy M. Deweese for six-year terms on the District Family Court of the First Circuit.

Kristine Y. Yoo was confirmed to a six-year term on the District Court of the First Circuit.

The 2018 session of the Hawaii State Legislature adjourned sine die on Thursday, May 3.

Senate Bill 2154 passed and was transmitted to the governor upon adjournment. If Gov. Ige signs the bill, noncandidate committees will no longer be required to include contributor information on their campaign finance organizational reports.

The Legislature will reconvene in regular session at 10 a.m. on January 16, 2019.

Former Hawaii House Speaker Joseph Souki is being forced to resign after admitting to inappropriately touching and kissing multiple women over his legislative tenure.

His resignation is part of a State Ethics Commission settlement agreement stemming from allegations filed by multiple women.

The Commission agreed to resolve the matter if Souki resigns by March 30, issues a public apology, pays an administrative fine, and does not seek public office for two years.

Souki, 86, has served in the Hawaii State Legislature since 1982.

Hawaii Lt. Gov. Shan Tsutsui announced he will be resigning on Wednesday to join a lobbying and public affairs firm as senior vice president.

In his announcement, Tsutsui cited the difficulty of working on Oahu with his family being on Maui, and the new job will allow him to be on the same island as his family.

Hawaii’s revolving door restrictions only apply to legislators and employees of the Legislature.

The Hawaii Senate is scheduled to convene a two-day special legislative session on Tuesday, November 14, to confirm 4 judicial appointments.

Choosing from a list of candidates selected by the Judicial Selection Committee, Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald appointed Jessi Hall to the First District Family Court Judge and Gov. Ige appointed Paul Wong, Matthew Viola, and Rowena Somerville to the First Circuit Court.

Each Circuit Court judge will serve a 10-year term while the Family Court appointment has a six-year term.

The Hawaii Senate convened a two-day special legislative session on Monday, September 25, to confirm two judicial appointments.

Choosing from a list of candidates selected by the Judicial Selection Committee, Gov. Ige had appointed former Third District Family Court Judge Henry T. Nakamoto and attorney Robert D.S. Kim to the Third Circuit Court.

Each judge will serve a 10-year term.

State legislative leadership submitted a proclamation on Thursday, August 24, to call the Hawaii Legislature into special session on Monday, August 28, 2017.

The proclamation was filed at the written request of two-thirds of the members of each house.

Lawmakers are expected to consider a bill drafted by committee chairs to fund the completion of the rail project on Oahu.

Hawaii Senate President Ron Kouchi and House Speaker Scott Saiki recently sent a memorandum to the Hawaii Legislature providing notice of a tentatively scheduled special legislative session.

Subject to final confirmation and an agreement on the proposed language for bills to be discussed, the leadership asked all lawmakers to be in Hawaii for a legislative session from August 28 to September 1, 2017.

The purpose of the special session will be to create a solution to fund the Honolulu Rail Transit Project.

On Thursday, June 22, Gov. David Ige signed three bills amending state lobbying and ethics laws.

Among other things, the bills double the maximum administrative fine the State Ethics Commission may impose for violations of ethics or lobbying laws, amends various lobbying-related definitions, allows a former lobbyist employer to file a notice of termination when a lobbyist fails to do so, and clarifies lobbyist reporting requirements related to special legislative sessions.

The bills were effective upon approval.

Photo of Gov. Ige By Dallas Nagata White via Wikimedia Commons

The Hawaii Campaign Spending Commission’s electronic filing systems will be offline for system maintenance from June 20, 2017, to June 22, 2017.

During this time, new candidate and noncandidate committees will not be able to register electronically. Existing committees will not be able to enter campaign spending data or electronically file disclosure reports.

Currently registered noncandidate committees will also not be able to import contribution and expenditure data into the NCFS Import System.

The 29^th Hawaii Legislature adjourned sine die on Thursday, May 4.

Prior to adjournment, House members elected Rep. Scott Saiki as Speaker of the House. He replaces Rep. Joseph Souki, who resigned after lawmakers failed to come together to pass certain bills.

Lawmakers passed 233 bills during the 2017 legislative session, including budgets for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

Pending bills will carry over to the 2018 legislative session.