Common Cause Hawaii awarded $20,000 from the Piper Fund

Common Cause Hawaii has been awarded $20,000 from the Piper Fund, a Proteus Initiative, to support CCHI’s efforts to conduct public education, advocacy, and outreach to establish Hawaii’s first statewide Clean Elections program for candidates of the Office in the House of Representatives.

The Piper Fund awards $2 million a year “to innovative efforts that seek to address undue special interest influence in politics.” According to Carmille Lim, Executive Director of Common Cause Hawaii, “being awarded a grant from democracy reform foundation like Piper is a clear indicator of how closely democracy reforms in Hawaii are being watched.”

There are currently two bills in this legislative session dealing with clean elections.  House Bill 2533 would create a citizen-funded election option for the state House elections.  The candidates would need to collect 200 signatures along with $5 donations from voters in their districts.  House Bill 1481 has been carried over from last year and create a public funding program for candidates for offices of state representatives.  

“Common Cause Hawaii has long advocated for campaign finance reform and voting modernization efforts,” said Lim.  “A publicly-financed election system would help political candidates focus on issues that truly matter, and if elected, focus on legislation based on the policies’ merits, and not on what wealthy special interests want in return for campaign contributions.”

Common Cause Hawaii is a state chapter of the national Common Cause organization.  Common Cause is a nonpartisan, grassroots organization dedicated to reinventing an open, honest and accountable government that serves the public interest.  For more information, visit www.commoncause.org/HI.

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