Bill revives mail-in ballots for Kalaupapa residents

The Maui News
Friday, April 23, 2004

HONOLULU - Kalaupapa residents will be getting mail-in absentee ballots automatically and there will be no constitutional amendment this year to elect the attorney general or the insurance commissioner under a bill revised in legislative conference committee Thursday.

The original language of a bill intended to help the Kalaupapa community was restored during a session involving members of the Senate and House.

After the Senate passed the bill that had been requested by the Kalaupapa community, the House Judiciary Committee gutted it and replaced its language with a proposal for a constitutional amendment to have the attorney general and insurance commissioner elected, rather than appointed by the governor as they are now.

Sen. J. Kalani English, who introduced the original bill as a companion piece to one introduced by Rep. Sol Kaho'ohalahala, was shocked when he learned of the House committee's action.

English and Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, chairwoman of the Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, met with members of the House committee to argue for them to put back the old language. English said he, Kaho'ohalahala and others met with House members Wednesday and were able to convince them to agree to the change so the conference meeting went "quickly."

Kalaupapa residents asked for the bill because they are elderly with a dwindling population and lack the manpower to sufficiently staff a polling place. The measure will mandate the Maui County Clerk to automatically mail absentee ballots to all registered voters there.

The residents now are required to file applications for absentee ballots.

Both chambers will now vote on the bill on Monday, where English said he doesn't expect any more problems.

"I predict smooth sailing from here on out," he said.

Copyright © 2003 — The Maui News

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