THIS STORY HAS BEEN CORRECTED. See below.
House and Senate Republicans announced Tuesday they have come together for the first time in several years to pursue a package of measures including — at the top of the agenda — a proposal to establish direct democracy.
"For too long now, people have assumed that we have all the answers in this building," Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom (R, Diamond Head-Kahala-Hawaii Kai) said at a news conference in the Capitol atrium. "We believe that these measures, particularly initiative and referendum, will spur more interest, more voting and more participation. So this, this year, is our joint starting point."
Slom said minority members plan to redouble their efforts to pass initiatives and referendums in light of last year’s special session, which attracted thousands of people to the Capitol chanting "Let the people vote" on a constitutional amendment for same-sex marriage.
Initiative and referendum are tools that allow residents to force a public vote on laws or constitutional amendments by collecting a certain number of signatures on a petition. Initiative allows voters to propose laws or constitutional amendments, while referendum empowers voters to request that legislation passed by lawmakers be placed on the ballot for voter approval.
Both proposals could cover a wide range of social and fiscal issues such as marijuana legalization, labeling genetically modified organisms, bonds or taxes.
Slom acknowledged that initiative and referendum aren’t perfect but said they are much-needed legislative tools that could wind up increasing Hawaii’s dismal voter turnout.
"If we were to err, we would rather err on the side of the people and have too many things to consider rather than not enough things and to consider them behind closed doors," he said. "It doesn’t mean that we will agree with everything, either. But we agree with the process and (the need to) allow them this empowerment tool."
House Minority Leader Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson (R, Fort Shafter-Moanalua Gardens-Aliamanu) said minority members also support "common sense" measures to protect children and seniors.
Proposals would create a "silver alert" system using infrastructure in place for the Maile Amber Alert program to inform the public about missing adults who might suffer from an impaired mental condition; move up on the judicial calendar cases that involve children who are victims of serious crimes to avoid prolonging the court process and re-traumatizing the child; and allow children to testify in court by video so they don’t have to face defendants.
"We’re focused on being feasible," Johanson said. "We’re focused on being effective and really making sure that people are cared for, that government is doing a good job in ways that don’t necessarily require huge massive new programs."
Additional priorities for the eight Republicans in the Legislature include:
» Increasing Hawaii’s personal tax exemption, which is currently $1,144 — $104 more than it was in 1984 — to be more in line with the federal personal exemption, which has increased to $3,950 from $1,040 in 1984.
» Exempting residents on active military duty overseas from paying Hawaii income tax.
» Moving up the Legislature’s financial disclosure deadline to Jan. 15 of each year to make gifts and financial interests a matter of public record ahead of the legislative session.
CORRECTION: Sam Slom is the state Senate minority leader. An earlier version of this story identified him as the Senate majority leader.
