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On Politics Richard Borreca |
After 30 years,
it may be time for
another ConConIn 1978, the Bee Gees were singing "Stayin' Alive," Jimmy Carter was in the White House, and there was no such thing as the Internet.
In Honolulu, 102 delegates gathered in a Constitutional Convention at the old Federal Court House.
Many of those delegates returned to town this weekend for a 25th anniversary celebration. The occasion is an important marking because Hawaii has not held a Constitutional Convention since.
In many ways, it was the last big idea generated in the Hawaii political scene.
Those convention delegates, 86 percent Democratic, 39 percent Japanese American, 27 percent white and 19 percent Hawaiian or part-Hawaiian wrote a new state Constitution that changed or created many of the rules that govern Hawaii today.
The concept of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs came from the 1978 convention. The delegates wrote the state's resign-to-run provisions, limited the governor and lieutenant governor to two four-year terms, created the judicial panel to select candidates for state courts and started the Council on Revenues to provide a rational means for deciding how much money the state could spend.
Equally important as what the delegates did was who did it. Because of strong public protest against incumbent legislators serving in ConCon, the delegates elected were almost all new faces.
Some, like former Gov. John Waihee, went on to fame and fortune and back out of the spotlight during the last quarter-century.
At one time or another 18 delegates were elected to other public offices. Delegates who got their political start in ConCon and are now serving in public office include: Sens. Carol Fukunaga and Les Ihara, Reps. Helen Hale, Joe Souki and Barbara Marumoto, and Honolulu Mayor Jeremy Harris.
Every 10 years, Hawaii is required to consider holding a Constitutional Convention, although the Legislature can call for one anytime.
Observers such as political scientist Anne Feder Lee, who wrote the definitive reference guide to the state Constitution, says the 1978 ConCon "served us well."
Voters rejected another ConCon in 1988, and although voters approved one in 1998, an interpretation by the state attorney general said that blank votes counted as no votes and the call for a ConCon failed.
Lee isn't sure there is a loud cry for another ConCon, but she speculates that if one were called, some of the issues would be changing Hawaii schools, campaign reform and changes to increase homeland security.
Others have worried that another ConCon would open up unpleasant, divisive issues that would not be solved.
Waihee, however, says it is time to "bring it on."
"We set the agenda for 20 years," Waihee says, adding that the only really new idea since has been the election of a Republican governor, Linda Lingle.
"I'm not sure of anything that needs to be changed, but it is good for the system," Waihee says.
Hawaii now could start getting ready for a ConCon in 2008, as Waihee says, "it is just the healthy thing to do."
Richard Borreca writes on politics every Sunday in the Star-Bulletin.
He can be reached at 525-8630 or by e-mail at rborreca@starbulletin.com.