Campaign Spending Commission

Campaign Spending Commission Meeting
Leiopapa A Kamehameha Building, Room 204
January 9, 2008
10:00 a.m.

Members Present:
Paul Kuramoto, Steven Olbrich, Gino Gabrio, Dean Robb, Michael Weaver

Staff Present:
Barbara Wong, Tony Baldomero, Grant Tanimoto, Ellen Kojima

Call to Order:
Meeting convened at 10:05 a.m. with Chairperson Kuramoto presiding.

Consideration of Minutes:
Mr. Gabrio moved to accept the minutes of December 12, 2007.  Motion seconded by Mr. Robb.  Motion carried.

Communication to Commission:
2007 Year in Review
Executive Director Wong reported on some of the staff’s accomplishments for 2007.

– New web-based Candidate Filing System
– Eliminated 3-year backlog of disclosure report review
– Developed a 5-year Strategic Plan
– Began recodification of the Hawaii Revised Statutes Campaign Contribution and Expenditure Subpart
– Submitted business requirements for Noncandidate Filing System
– Campaign Spending Commissioner Handbook
– Investigated 4 complaints and negotiated and executed 12 conciliation agreements
– Drafted and tracked legislation
– Completed review of all advisory opinions and letters and drafted 7 new advisory opinions for 2007
– Edited all candidate and noncandidate guidebooks, forms and schedules
– Held training classes
– Began planning for the 2009 National Trends in Campaign Finance Forum

Legislative Update
Following bills for the 2008 legislative session:

– Bill to re-insert public funding for the office of the prosecuting attorney, which was mistakenly left out in the 2005 legislation;
– Bill to increase late filing, defective or deficient report penalty, amending the definitions of “loan” to exempt specified reimbursements, and collapsing sections 11-200 and 11-206 into one. Considering clarifying language in HRS section 11-204(b);
– Housekeeping bill to make technical changes to conform the law with electronic filing of reports requirement; and
– Bill prohibiting candidates from using monies collected for one office from being used to campaign for another office.

Next Meeting:
Scheduled for Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Mr. Olbrich moved to adjourn meeting.  Motion seconded by Mr. Weaver.  Motion carried.

Meeting adjourned at 10:50 a.m.