STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1612

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    H.C.R. No. 10

       H.D. 1

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs, to which was referred H.C.R. No. 10, H.D. 1, entitled:

 

"HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO PROPOSE A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO OVERTURN THE UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT'S HOLDING RELATING TO CORPORATE INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURES IN CITIZENS UNITED V. FEDERAL ELECTION COMMISSION,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to request the United States Congress to propose a Constitutional amendment to overturn the United States Supreme Court holding relating to corporate independent expenditures in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (Citizens United).

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee finds that the Supreme Court held in Citizens United that the First Amendment prohibits the government from suppressing political speech in the form of corporate independent expenditures, based on the speaker's corporate identity.  Your Committee further finds that there is a clear distinction between human and corporate political speech relating to the election of public officials and campaign spending.  This measure encourages Congress to propose a Constitutional amendment to prohibit corporations from using corporate treasury funds for political independent expenditures.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes for clarity and consistency.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of H.C.R. No. 10, H.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Labor, in the form attached hereto as H.C.R. No. 10, H.D. 1, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair