The 1978 Constitutional Convention illustrated the impact 102 Hawaii citizens could have in shaping the state. Most of the delegates to the convention were everyday people of different backgrounds and political affiliations, coming together not in pursuit of selfish interests but with a common commitment to exercise their right to be heard. It was the start of political careers for some, such as future governor John Waihee and future Honolulu mayor Jeremy Harris, and a high note in the long volunteer service career of then civil servant Bill Paty and public interest attorney William Burgess. Thirty years later, we are presented with the same opportunity in a time of new predicaments and concerns.

A Con-Con can serve as a vehicle to transfer power from the state bureaucracy back to the people, through reforms such as the following:

▪ Allow state-level initiative and referendum, as 24 states already do . Through initiatives, new laws or constitutional amendments can be proposed by collecting citizen signatures. Referenda, which repeal laws enacted by the legislature, can also be put on the ballot by citizen petition. This is a powerful tool for holding elected officials accountable.
 
▪ Require fiscal notes. Lawmakers throughout the country utilize fiscal notes, or fiscal impact statements, to determine how much a specific piece of legislation will cost taxpayers. Hawaii is the only state legislature that does not use fiscal notes, which means members vote on bills without knowing how much the measure in question costs. It’s time to stop allowing legislators to spend taxpayer money without knowing how much they’re spending.

▪ Form local school boards. Under centralized state management, the quality of education has suffered. Parents should be put back in charge of their children’s education by decentralizing the Department of Education and holding local elections for school boards. Parents could then be involved in determining the size of the budget, staffing, method of teaching, and curriculum in schools.

▪ Limit tax increases. With the cost of living rising higher, all of Hawaii’s taxpayers need protection. The state constitution should limit tax revenue increases to a specified percentage, such as the sum of population growth plus inflation.

Hawaii Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona announces the results from his Con-Con study committee recently as Attorney General Mark Bennett (right) and committee members from the state Legislature look on.

Despite these advantages to having a state Constitutional Convention, some are against it. Thanks to a law requiring that political advertisements identify their source of funding, taxpayers now know who is behind the anti-ConCon movement. The mainland-based National Educational Association is bankrolling groups such as the Hawaii State Teachers Association and the University of Hawaii Professional Assembly (banded as the Hawaii Alliance) to the tune of $325,000. Does it not strike voters that something is awry when 80 percent of Hawaiian eighth-graders perform below the proficient reading level, yet teacher unions are battling threats to the status quo?

A ConCon would force difficult, yet vital questions to be asked about the way state government is run—questions some elected officials may find threatening. It is noteworthy that state legislators regularly vote on issues without knowing the cost to taxpayers, but call for a major study (using taxpayer dollars) to determine the cost of a ConCon.

The cost of a ConCon, with estimates ranging from $2.5 million to $42 million, is certainly significant. Yet every year, the Hawaii state legislature spends $37 million in administrative costs just by convening, to speak nothing of the costs of the legislation passed.

Compared to the annual cost of the legislature, the ConCon is a bargain—and one that provides a rare opportunity to increase government transparency and accountability for all Hawaii citizens and taxpayers.

-GIR-

Pearl Hahn is a Policy Analyst with The Grassroot Institute of Hawaii, a free-market think tank based on Honolulu.