Senate Bill Would Raid HI 5

Senate Bill 884 (see previous blog) has been "deferred." That doesn't mean that it's dead. And unlike a county council measure, which is subject to the Sunshine Law, a legislative bill hearing can be called with only a one-day notice. The bill could be revived any time this month.
"We're waiting for the 24-hour notice," says Cory Payne of Voter Owned Elections.
The latest version of the bill posted online contains no mention of a raid on the Campaign Elections
Fund--but it does raid the HI 5 container deposit fund, stripping the State Auditor's office of the power to determine if the fund has excess moneys, transferring that power to the legislator, and transferring $10 million from HI 5 to the state's general fund.
Note: Anheuser Busch distributed total of $9,300 among 20 Hawaii legislators during the last election. Of course, Busch has a vested interest in weakening HI 5.