STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3073

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                

 

RE:    S.B. No. 2006

       S.D. 2

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Thirtieth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2020

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 2006, S.D. 1, entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO RANKED CHOICE VOTING,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose and intent of this measure is to establish that special elections for federal office and vacant county council seats shall be conducted by ranked choice voting.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in support of this measure from Common Cause Hawaii and four individuals.

 

     Your Committee received written comments in opposition to this measure from one individual.

 

     Your Committee received written comments on this measure from the League of Women Voters.

 

     Your Committee finds that numerous candidates often run in special elections for federal or county council offices, which often results in the election of a candidate by a mere plurality of votes.  Your Committee recognizes that conducting these elections by ranked choice voting would result in the election of candidates who receive a clear majority of votes, thus eliminating the need for costly and inefficient runoff elections.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Removing new statutory provisions relating to election proclamations from section 1 of the measure and inserting substantially similar proclamation requirements into section 11-91, Hawaii Revised Statutes, instead;

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to July 1, 2050, to facilitate further discussion on the measure; and

 

     (3)  Making technical nonsubstantive changes for purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2006, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2006, S.D. 2.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

 

 

 

________________________________

DONOVAN M. DELA CRUZ, Chair