This is an excerpt from an article originally published in the Honolulu Star on June 24, 2025. Read the full article HERE. 

Notably, Milner said, legislators killed all efforts this year aimed at “clean government,” including several that would affect them directly.

Bills that died included: creating a task force to study the possibility of creating a year-round Legislature like the City Council; impose term limits on the Legislature, the only elected body where members can run for reelection indefinitely; and increasing the amount of public funds available to political candidates, which proponents argue would make it easier for people to run for county and state offices.

On Friday, House Speaker Nadine Nakamura did not dismiss the idea of reconsidering bills that died, saying that some proposals can take six to seven years to reach consensus.

Clean government reform efforts followed the 2022 federal guilty pleas of former Senate Majority Leader J. Kalani English and then-Rep. Ty T.J. Cullen.

English and Cullen, both Democrats, admitted to accepting cash, casino chips, Las Vegas hotel rooms and dinners in exchange for influencing legislation to benefit a company involved in publicly financed cesspool conversion projects.

In response, then-House Speaker Scott Saiki created the Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct, led by retired Intermediate Court of Appeals Chief Judge Dan Foley, which made 28 recommendations that resulted in 20 bills becoming law in 2023.

But progress has largely stalled since.

In particular this year, legislators killed a bill that would make it illegal for state and county contractors — and their immediate family members — from making campaign contributions while their companies are under contract for county or state projects.

It also would require the names of any officers or their immediate family members to be disclosed in certain circumstances.

Common Cause Hawaii represented one of the loudest advocates for further “clean government” reforms this year.

When the session ended on Friday, Common Cause Hawaii State Director Camron Hurt said in a statement:

“At a time when Hawaiians are demanding their lawmakers fight back against attacks on our democracy, our Legislature failed to act. It’s embarrassing that the Legislature didn’t pass anything to improve access to voting or keep foreign corporations out of our home politics. While some legislators voiced support for these bills, words of support aren’t enough — we the people demand real, meaningful action. Common Cause Hawaii will continue our efforts to hold our elected officials accountable and return power back to the people.”

But Common Cause noted that the new state budget includes money for the Campaign Spending Commission to expand for the first time since statehood.

“This funding will ensure the Commission can maintain the integrity and transparency of the campaign finance process,” Common Cause said.

Milner believes that future efforts aimed at political and campaign reform will continue to fail, along with the perennial attempts to legalize adult use of recreational marijuana.

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