Column: Prioritize integrity, openness, ethics

2022 was an especially disastrous year for ethical conduct in Hawaii government. Two influential state legislators pled guilty to accepting tens of thousands of dollars to determine specific legislative outcomes. Numerous county officials were charged with crimes that include conspiracy, bribery, embezzlement and fraud.

House Speaker Scott Saiki deserves commendation for meeting a precarious and perilous moment in Hawaii’s civic life by forming a Commission to Improve Standards of Conduct (CISC) in the wake of the federal indictments of the two legislators. We were honored to serve with retired Judge Dan Foley, state Ethics Chair Robert Harris and the other commissioners who dedicated their time and energy through much of the past year.

Hawaii government stands at a crossroads. The CISC’s final report, issued last month, notes the commission’s collective sense of “the significance of this pivotal point in time and recognizes a tremendous opportunity to mend the relationship between the public and its government.” This opportunity must not fall by the political wayside or be met with institutional inertia.

The CISC’s final report is replete with specific suggestions to help restore the public’s trust in Hawaii’s officeholders and government officials. While the ideas contained in the report reflect the views of individual commissioners or their respective government departments, all are practical measures that are worthy of serious consideration.

As commissioners who are unelected and unaffiliated with a government agency, we offer a simple suggestion to this year’s Legislature and its leadership: make the package of bills submitted in the CISC’s final report this session’s top legislative priority.

Modest investments in improved ethics, lobbying, and campaign spending will pay dividends, especially for the less politically powerful. Hawaii has an opportunity to create a national reputation for best practices in the conduct of its elected officials, eliminating the hidden cost of what is perceived as widespread corruption that includes nepotism. Reducing Hawaii’s dependence on federal prosecutors to weed out fraudsters reinforces the rule of law and a commitment to fair dealing. Taken together, this should enhance the state’s reputation as an honest place to conduct business.

Take up the final report’s recommended measures at the outset of the session and strive to get these passed as soon as possible through public hearings. The report’s executive summary provides a daunting list of recent government misconduct. Addressing public corruption expeditiously at the outset of the legislative session makes room for other important public policy questions, such as affordable housing, universal preschool and health care access. CISC measures may need further refinement, but we remain confident that they can be acted upon fairly quickly.

Imagine how much better our policymaking process could be with reduced influence of moneyed interests. Let’s envision a government with less legislator time devoted to fundraising, more public financing of elections to level the playing field for 2024 candidates, and more voter education to help all voters choose candidates and understand ballot measures.

Further, Hawaii residents could obtain public records for a reasonable cost. The Legislature could also adopt laws and rules to increase transparency.

We offer thanks to those civic-­minded Hawaii residents, including current and former lawmakers, who contributed to the work of the CISC through testimony and input last year.

In the weeks and months ahead, we look forward to an extended public conversation that also includes Gov. Josh Green and Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, former legislators who have an abundance of experience and a demonstrable dedication to the betterment of Hawaii.

Janet Mason serves on the legislative committee of the League of Women Voters of Hawaii; Nikos Leverenz is an advisory board member with Common Cause of Hawaii.