Common Cause pushing
candidate residency reformThe current law is too lax, says director
By Mike Yuen
Larry Meacham; official reaction seems cool
Star-BulletinLarry Meacham, director of the public watchdog group Common Cause Hawaii, scoffs at the state's residency requirement for legislative candidates. It is so lax, he says, that political wannabes can be "carpetbaggers" -- not even residents of the district in which they're running. But if they win their party's nomination, they have until the general election to become a "qualified voter" -- and therefore a resident -- of that district.
To point out how ridiculous the law is, Meacham yesterday took out nomination papers as a nonpartisan candidate for all 51 House and 13 Senate seats that are up this year.
"Although I live in Makiki, I am legally allowed to run in Maui, Kaimuki, Kapaa, Puna, Molokai, Niihau or Lanai," Meacham said.
He added: "Some carpetbaggers can turn out to be good legislators. I'm just asking that they move into a district at least one year in advance so they can learn a bit about their new community's problems and concerns."
Meacham was to stress that point at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing today on a House measure that proposes a constitutional amendment to impose new eligibility requirements. But the bill -- which would require a legislative candidate to be a qualified voter in the district the candidate wishes to represent prior to filing nomination papers for that office -- needs to be more stringent, Meacham believes.
For this election year, the House bill would mean a legislative hopeful must be a registered voter in the district he or she hopes to represent before the July 21 deadline for filing nomination papers. The primary is set for Sept. 19.
Meacham and Common Cause are proposing that a legislative candidate must have lived in the district for at least a year before filing nomination papers for that district's House or Senate seat.
It is relatively common for political aspirants to weigh entering open House and Senate races in districts they don't reside because they won't have to face an incumbent, noted veteran political observers.
In one House race on Oahu in 1994, supporters of two Democratic candidates accused a third Democrat, who eventually won the seat, of not living in the district during the primary. When they learned that wasn't against the law, they still insisted it wasn't right.
Meacham's tough proposal, however, is receiving a cool reception from the chairwomen of the state Democratic and Republican parties and the co-chairmen of the Senate Judiciary Committee. The House, meanwhile, turned its back on Meacham's recommendation.
Democratic Party leader Marilyn Bornhorst said her party supports the House measure, which also mirrors a Senate bill that moved to the House.
Told of Common Cause's position, Bornhorst, who stressed that she wasn't talking on behalf of the party because its leaders hadn't yet studied Common Cause's proposal, said: "I personally think it is too stringent. We live in a fluid society and I like the idea of people living in the district they represent. But a year seems too long a time."
GOP Chairwoman Donna Alcantara added: "I know voters are akamai enough to know who is a carpetbagger and who is not."
That sentiment was echoed by Senate Judiciary Co-Chairman Matt Matsunaga (D, Palolo).
Alcantara, who is not opposed to the current law, also said: "People in Hawaii are very territorial about their district. They want to know who is trying to get elected. If they feel someone is using them, trying to take advantage of them, that person won't get elected."
Senate Judiciary Co-Chairman Avery Chumbley (D, Kihei) was unenthusiastic about the Common Cause proposal, while Matsunaga wanted to discern public reaction to it.
For Chumbley, the proposal particularly didn't make sense on Oahu, which has areas with high population densities and where district boundaries can cut through, say, Aiea, leaving someone in one district just as familiar with the issues and concerns in adjacent areas.
Meacham said 27 states require at least a year's residency in a district before someone can be eligible to run for that district's legislative office.
State bonds might boost
By Star-Bulletin staff
Maui TV questIf Jim Jacobson's dream comes true, Maui could be the center of a consciousness-expanding television universe devoted to topics such as meditation and world peace. To launch his 24-hour cable and satellite network, Jacobson needs help from the state Legislature. The House Economic Development Committee is scheduled to hear a bill tomorrow to issue $10 million in special-purpose revenue bonds to help the network, called Quest, get started.
But some lawmakers believe it's bad karma for the state to get involved in the venture.
"I think helping one particular business entity go on the air is a very narrow interpretation of what special purpose is," said Sen. Sam Slom (R, Hawaii Kai).
Quest would feature programming on "meditation, the environment, spirituality, health and healing, exercise, nutrition, multiculturalism, metaphysics, ancient mysteries and world peace."
Jacobson said there is a market for Quest.
"If you look at the New York Times best-seller list -- 'The Celestine Prophesy,' James Redfield, Deepak Chopra, 'Conversations with God' -- books like that have continued to be on the best-seller list for months," he said.
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D, Lahaina), supports the bill because she believes it could create a television industry at the Maui Research and Technology Park.
"It's an economic development project," she said.
Jacobson predicts Quest could bring 200 jobs to Maui.
"Certain things in life appear like a no-brainer, and building Quest and locating it here is a no-brainer," Jacobson said. "The spirit of aloha, the spirit of love is what Quest is all about."
Baker (D, Lahaina) stressed that investors, not the state, will lose money if the company fails.
"The person who is requesting the special-purpose revenue bond has to demonstrate to the financial institution or to the bond market that they have the wherewithal to pay them back, because the state is not involved in that transaction at all," Baker said.
Finance Director Earl Anzai said even though the state may not be legally responsible for the bonds, a default could still affect the state's ability to borrow money.
LEGISLATURE UPDATE
A calendar of tomorrow's hearings -- to be held at the state Capitol, 415 S. Beretania St., unless noted. Hearings marked with an asterisk will be aired live Oceanic Channel 54 and TCI Cable 3:
HOUSE
Transportation: Hearing on bills relating to motor carriers, commercial driver licensing, seat belts, highway safety and mopeds. Decision-making to follow, 8:30 a.m., Room 309.
SENATE
