STAND. COM. REP. NO.  163

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2015

 

RE:   H.B. No. 1048

 

 

 

 

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Eighth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2015

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Labor & Public Employment, to which was referred H.B. No. 1048 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO ELECTIONS,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to encourage more candidates to participate in public office by establishing re-employment rights for public employees who resign to seek elective office.

 

     Your Committee finds that the ability of public employees to seek and obtain public office is restricted by requirements that upon election to office the employee must resign or be terminated in their employment.  These requirements are onerous and actively discourage citizens from participating in elected office simply because they are a public employee.  This measure seeks to redress the issue where public employees running for office do not get elected so there is no economic penalty for simply seeking office.

 

     The University of Hawaii Professional Assembly; Hawaii Government Employees Association, AFSCME Local 152, AFL-CIO; and IMUA Alliance testified in support of this measure.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Labor & Public Employment that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 1048 and recommends that it pass Second Reading and be referred to the Committee on Judiciary.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Labor & Public Employment,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

MARK M. NAKASHIMA, Chair