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[\/et_pb_fullwidth_header][et_pb_fullwidth_post_title global_parent=”145″ _builder_version=”3.17.5″ categories=”off” comments=”off” featured_image=”off” disabled_on=”on|on|on” disabled=”on” \/][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.0.90″ background_color=”#f5eee1″ prev_background_color=”#ffffff”][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”4_4″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text Opeds” _builder_version=”3.0.89″ background_layout=”light”]<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text Yes” _builder_version=”3.16.1″]<\/p>\n
De Gracia, Danny,\u00a0This Election Doesn\u2019t Have To Be Business As Usual<\/a>,\u00a0Civil Beat, October 22, 2018.<\/p>\n De Gracia, Danny,\u00a0We Don\u2019t Need Our Political Leaders Hovering Over Us<\/a>,\u00a0Civil Beat, October 1, 2018. The author also very briefly endorses a convention in\u00a0Want To Pay Teachers More? Let Private Donors Pitch In<\/a>,\u00a0Civil Beat, October 8, 2018.<\/p>\n Palmer, Jesse,\u00a0How To Fix Hawaii\u2019s Broken Democracy<\/a>, Civil Beat, May 21, 2018.<\/p>\n Orden, Tim,\u00a0Who\u2019s Afraid Of A Constitutional Convention?<\/a>, Civil Beat, January 4, 2018.<\/p>\n Higa, Sterling, Calling For A Constitutional Convention<\/a>, Civil Beat, May 18, 2017.<\/p>\n Chang, Kendrick, The Legislature Has Forgotten Hawaii\u2019s Constitutional Values<\/a>, Civil Beat, June 25, 2014.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text No” _builder_version=”3.17.5″]<\/p>\n Shin, Doorae, ConCon would put at risk existing environmental protections<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, November 5, 2018.<\/p>\n Kapela, Jeann\u00e9, A ConCon Could Harm Native Hawaiians<\/a>, Civil Beat, November 2, 2018.<\/p>\n Wisch, Joshua, Protect State Constitution By Voting \u2018No\u2019 On ConCon<\/a>, Civil Beat, October 30, 2018.<\/p>\n Cataluna, Lee, ConCon meant to be discussion, not battle<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 24, 2018.<\/p>\n Chu, Rai Saint, No good reason for ConCon now<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 23, 2018.<\/p>\n Perreira, Randy, Don\u2019t let outside special interests ruin Hawaii\u2019s Constitution<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 18, 2018.<\/p>\n Chang, Kendrick, When Voting On ConCon, Consider Today\u2019s Political Climate<\/a>, Civil Beat, October 16, 2018.<\/p>\n Lee, Anne Feder,\u00a0Say no to constitutional convention<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 14, 2018. J.H. Snider provided the following comment to Ms. Feder’s op-ed:<\/p>\n As she did before the last ConCon referendum in 2008, Anne Feder Lee has provided us with an excellent summary of the no coalition\u2019s talking points, including that of her own former government employee union. If the past is a reliable guide, millions of dollars will be spent promoting these talking points between now and Nov. 6, including in ads featuring Ms. Lee.<\/p>\n \u201cThe estimated cost of a Hawaii Constitutional Convention (ConCon), if approved by voters at the Nov. 6 election is $56 million. Yes, that\u2019s right: $56 million.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Hawaii\u2019s last ConCon in 1978 cost $2.03 million. In current dollars, that sum would be $7.7 million. Ms. Lee appears to be extrapolating from the Legislative Reference Bureau\u2019s 2008 report requested by the Legislature\u2019s leadership to provide ammunition to ConCon opponents. That report estimated that in 2012 dollars a ConCon would cost between $7.5 million and $48.8 million. The $56 million figure appears to be an extrapolation from the upper bound $48.8 million figure. Even then, Ms. Lee is only quoting LRB\u2019s upper bound. A competing 2008 report published by a workgroup organized by Hawaii\u2019s Lt. Governor found LRB\u2019s cost estimates wildly inflated.<\/p>\n ConCon opponents refuse to acknowledge the costs associated with Hawaii\u2019s deficient democratic accountability mechanisms. For example, polls show that the public believes a large fraction of Hawaii\u2019s $7.2 billion annual operating budget ($72 billion over the ten-year period between ConCon referendums) is wasted. For example, consider public views of waste associated with Hawaii\u2019s rail project, now estimated at ~$10 billion. In this context, a ConCon\u2019s cost is a mere rounding error.<\/p>\n \u201cWe should not wait until a ConCon takes place to discover what issues rise up\u2026. If it ain\u2019t broke, don\u2019t fix it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n For a discussion of the many legislative bypass issues that have been proposed\u2014none of which Ms. Lee has acknowledged–see The Hawai\u2019i State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse\u2019s Legislative Bypass Issues page.<\/p>\n Hooser, Gary,\u00a0A Constitutional Convention? If in doubt, vote no<\/a>, The Garden Island, October 10, 2018.<\/p>\n Perruso, Amy, Hawaii doesn\u2019t need a Constitutional Convention<\/a>, The Garden Island, October 2, 2018. The Garden Island published<\/a> a letter on October 7 with a factual correction provided by the Grassroot Institute: “The guest commentary ‘Hawaii doesn\u2019t need con con given political climate’ (Oct. 2) recently published in The Garden Island erroneously stated that the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii ‘is pushing for a ConCon (Constitutional Convention).’ The Grassroot Institute has not taken a position on the proposed Constitutional Convention, slated to go before Hawaii voters Nov. 6.”<\/p>\n Coffman, Tom, State Constitution doesn\u2019t need change<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, September 30, 2018.<\/p>\n Hooser, Gary, I\u2019m Voting No On The Con Con<\/a>, Civil Beat, September 24, 2018.<\/p>\n Mason, Janet, Some Issues Don\u2019t Require A Constitutional Convention<\/a>, Honolulu Civil Beat, January 8, 2018. A mixed point of view, but mostly emphasizing the downsides of a constitutional convention.<\/p>\n Lanier, Albert,\u00a0Why A Constitutional Convention Is Unnecessary<\/a>, Honolulu Civil Beat, December 22, 2017.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”1_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text Other” _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n Young, En, If We Start Now, The Next ConCon Vote Will Go Differently<\/a>, Civil Beat, December 4, 2018.<\/p>\n Freudenthal, Bethany, J.H. Snider talks about Constitutional Convention<\/a>, The Garden Island, November 3, 2018. Comment: This article is such a mangled rendition of what I actually said to the reporter that it would have been better if it had never been published. \u2013J.H. Snider<\/p>\n Blair, Chad, Here\u2019s What Residents Of Other States Will Get A Chance To Vote On<\/a>, Civil Beat, October 30, 2018.<\/p>\n Viotti,\u00a0Vicki,\u00a0A constitutional convention could spark visionary policies,but lackluster citizen demand dampens urgency for one now<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 21, 2018.<\/p>\n Yamachika, Tom, How the general income tax credit became history<\/a>, The Garden Island, October 14, 2018.<\/p>\n Shapiro, David, Putting school tax on ballot lets unions sidestep debate<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, October 14, 2018.<\/p>\n Blair, Chad, I Read Hawaii\u2019s Constitution So You Don\u2019t Have To<\/a>, Civil Beat, October 5, 2018.\u00a0HawaiiConCon.info comment:<\/p>\n \u201cHere\u2019s another unusual feature of the state constitution: In 1998, Hawaii voters gave the Legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples (Article 1, section 23). The Legislature soon followed suit, essentially writing discrimination into our sacred text. In 2013, the Legislature finally made same-sex marriage legal through statute. But the Hawaii Constitution was not amended. The U.S. Supreme Court made same-sex marriage the law of the land in 2014.\u201d<\/span> Borreca, Richard, Much to discuss in Constitutional Convention \u2014 if voters can muster hope and engagement<\/a>,\u00a0Honolulu Star-Advertiser, September 23, 2018.\u00a0 HawaiiConCon.info comment:<\/p>\n “Every 10 years since then, voters are asked if they want another convention and not once has it passed.”<\/p>\n Not quite. It passed in 1996 with a majority voting yes on the question and was initially certified by the elections office as having passed. The opponents then challenged that certification and won before Hawaii’s Supreme Court. For a discussion of that highly politicized ruling (Hawaii’s Supreme Court may have been even more politicized than the U.S. Supreme Court), see The People v. Hawaii Supreme Court.<\/p>\n Adler, Peter, and Jenna Leigh Saito, Political Volatility Could Affect Hawaii Constitutional Convention Question<\/a>,\u00a0Honolulu Civil Beat, June 8, 2018.<\/p>\n Adler, Peter, and Jenna Leigh Saito, What A Constitutional Convention Might Cost Hawaii Taxpayers<\/a>, Honolulu Civil Beat, June 7, 2018.<\/p>\n Adler, Peter, and Jenna Leigh Saito, Before Deciding On A New Constitutional Convention, Consider Those Held Before<\/a>, Honolulu Civil Beat, June 6, 2018.<\/p>\n Adler, Peter, and Jenna Leigh Saito,\u00a0Should We Open The Door To Changing How State Government Runs?<\/a>, Honolulu Civil Beat, June 5, 2018.<\/p>\n Craft, Victor, Group Puts Constitutional Convention Question Under A Microscope<\/a>,\u00a0Honolulu Civic Beat, April 9, 2018.<\/p>\n Borreca, Richard, Holding new ConCon would be prime opportunity to hold high-spending OHA to its mission<\/a>,\u00a0Honolulu Star-Advertiser, Feb. 18, 2018. Also published<\/a> in Hawaii Free Press<\/em>.<\/p>\n Lowenthal, Ben,\u00a0The State of Aloha<\/a>, The Maui News, December 29, 2017.<\/p>\n Yamachika, Tom, What\u2019s At Stake In A Hawaii Con Con<\/a>, Honolulu Civic Beat,\u00a0December 24, 2017. Also published as\u00a0Yamachika, Tom, \u00a0Constitutional Convention<\/a>, Hawai’i Free Press, December 24, 2017 and Yamachika, Tom, \u00a0Constitutional Convention<\/a>, Hawaii Reporter, December 25, 2017.+<\/p>\n Palmer, Jesse, Let\u2019s Stop Voting For The Lesser Of Two Evils<\/a>,\u00a0Honolulu Civic Beat, December 8, 2017.<\/p>\n Borreca, Richard, Unlike watershed Con Con in 1978, complacency is today\u2019s attitude on political activism<\/a>, Honolulu Star-Advertiser, September 3, 2017.<\/a><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Hawai\u02bbi State Constitutional Convention Clearinghouse Information Related to Hawai\u02bbi’s November 6, 2018 State Constitutional Convention Referendum No<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/span>I would call this an interesting but not unusual feature. Obsolete provisions in state constitutions are quite common. One reason is that federal law trumps (no pun intended) state law, including state constitutional law. Thus, when the U.S. Supreme Court made its same-sex ruling, it invalidated that section of Hawaii\u2019s Constitution.<\/span>
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<\/span>Another reason is that it usually doesn\u2019t seem to be in anyone\u2019s interest to remove such obsolete and misleading sections from a state constitution. An exception is a state constitutional convention, where such language is routinely cleaned up.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n