After last year’s convictions of one-time Sen. J. Kalani English and former Rep. Ty Cullen for cash bribes, our state government sorely needs a major reform to heal the public trust. Public financing of elections is that reform.

We have a chance this year, with Senate Bill 1543, to implement public financing for every major state and county office. It’s “the reform that makes all other reforms possible.”

The idea is simple. Candidates collect a base number of $5 contributions from constituents, decline all other private funds, and their campaigns are paid for by public money, up to a reasonable amount. In return, they can spend all their fundraising time talking with voters, owing no one but them, and doing their job. They can take a principled stand on every issue.

Violating the rules brings appropriate penalties, and thorough, regular reporting requirements should prevent abuse. Higher offices receive more funding. The bill covers governor, lieutenant governor, state senator, state representative, Office of Hawaiian Affairs trustee, mayor, prosecuting attorney and county councilmember.

If the Hawaii election campaign fund is near depletion, a candidate receives no money. No one is required to participate.

Taxpayers tend to be concerned about the cost to them, but tax breaks currently given to special interests cost them far more, as with Oahu’s rail boondoggle. And what governmental expense is more important than supporting a healthy democracy?

This year the state has plenty of money to fund the 2024 election cycle, when the program would begin under the current bill. In the future, if funds are insufficient, the program would not be run for that cycle. Amounts would be adjusted with any change in the consumer price index.

In Maine and Arizona, publicly financed elections costing under $5 per taxpayer have increased voter turnout, the number and diversity of candidates (including women and people of color), candidate interaction with low- and moderate-income communities, and the number of contested races.

Our elected officials would no longer be just career politicians or people who know the right people, but regular folks from all walks of life: nurses, veterans, small business owners, teachers. Candidates could spend more time on ideas and less time raising money that tends to commit them to special interests.

Public financing elsewhere has decreased the spending gap between winning and losing candidates, the role of special interests in government decision making, and the time candidates and officeholders spend fundraising. Candidates elected via public financing have passed some long-stalled laws for affordable prescription drugs, all-day kindergarten for the poorest schools, higher subsidies for community colleges, and financial help for working families needing child care.

The practice decreases the chances of situations like the rail, and the myriad more subtle ways voters’ money is wasted. The corrupting influence of money in politics — real and perceived — continues to erode our confidence in the system. Public financing would go far toward restoring faith in our elections, political system and politicians.

Publicly financed elections are the gold standard of campaign finance reform, for good reason. Thirteen states use some form of them, as do 20 local governments (see 808ne.ws/forthepeople).

SB 1543 has passed its last state Senate committee and should be crossing over to the House. Please urge House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Chairman David Tarnas and Vice Chairman Gregg Takayama to pass it.

Brodie Lockard has been a board member of Common Cause Hawaii since 2014, and has worked on public financing for two decades.