i L i n d . n e t

The Legislature’s next big deadline hits next week, as bills must pass out of the non-originating body in order to remain alive. It’s called the second crossover. So the House is now racing to finish up its work on any bills that originated in the Senate. Bills had to be in final form and “decked” yesterday in order for final votes to make next Thursday’s crossover deadline.

SB945 HD1 started out as a bill to require judges to file public financial disclosures annually with the State Ethics Commission, but it was quickly noted that judges already file similar disclosures which are available for public inspection at the office of the Supreme Court Clerk. The Senate Judiciary Committee then morphe a bill prohibiting top state officials from “employing, or advocating for or promoting the employment of, immediate family members for a position over which the state official exerts supervisory authority.”

It also legislators or business controlled by a legislator from being awarded contracts worth more than $10,000 from any public agency or quasi-public entity.

Testimony presented by the Ethics Commission urged that the nepotism provision be extended to cover any state employee with hiring or supervisory authority, not just the list of specific officials included in the current draft of the bill. Commission executive director Dan Mollway again urged further amendments in a letter this week to Judiciary Chairman Tommy Waters.

“I believe it is important that such a statute apply to all state officials and state employees. Nepotism is wrong when done by anybody, not just high-ranking state offials. The people of Hawaii should have an equal opportunity to apply for state jobs. Such jobs exist because of taxpayers’ money. With respect to state employment, all the people of the State of Hawaii should have an equal opportunity to obtain a state position bsed on their individual credentials and merits, and not on whom they happen to be related to.”

It’s good to have a public record of the commission’s recommendation, although if it doesn’t make it into the House bill, it’s apparently not going to happen this year.

Another good bill that’s moving is SB 3171 SD2 HB2 would require charities to register with the state and file annual financial reports. The bill, sponsored by Senators Ihara, Baker, Hooser, and Inouye, would put Hawaii back in the mainstream as far as regulation of nonprofits goes.

And the AFL-CIO has praised the Hawaii legislature for passage of HB2974 HD2, referred to as the Hawaii employee free choice bill.

If the bill become law, employees could join a union by signing a card saying they were in favor of the union. If a majority of the employees sign up, the union would be authorized to bargain with management.

The bill received final approval and was submitted to the governor on March 27.

Saturday meanderings…check out this report on the decline in federal white collar crime prosecutions in recent years…and this blog which bills itself as taking a progressive look at naval affairs and military contracting (and scoot down the page a bit for an entry about Austral, the company that built the Superferry).

And here’s a weekend special–this morning’s sunrise seen from Swanzy Beach Park in Kaaawa.