Lawmakers and community groups are pressing for a Hawaii special session before November to pass a narrowly tailored bill barring campaign donations from government contractors in the wake of recent bribery indictments.
Hours after four defendants pleaded not guilty to bribery and related charges, members of the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives and advocates gathered at the State Capitol Rotunda to demand swift action. According to organizers, the proposal targets a long-criticized loophole that allows individuals tied to state contractors to contribute to political campaigns.
Rep. Kanani Souza, a co-convener of the Good Government Caucus, said the measure is intended to be focused and achievable within a short window. She noted lawmakers nearly advanced similar legislation during the last session and argued a brief special session could finalize it and close the contractor contribution gap tied to the current scandal.
The push follows a widening corruption case involving the lieutenant governor, a former Cabinet official, another Green administration member and a former state agency chair. Prosecutors allege a contractor bribed public officials to influence legislation.
Souza, a Republican, said residents want immediate, concrete steps that can be completed quickly. While the exact language is not settled, lawmakers pointed to two bills from the past session as starting points.
Hawaii special session could revive stalled reforms
Two measures, House Bill 1519 and Senate Bill 2530, sought to curb pay-to-play politics by prohibiting campaign contributions from state contractors and nonprofits that receive state funding, including executives and family members. The House version would have applied only to the executive branch and was deferred early. The Senate version, backed by the Hawaiʻi Campaign Spending Commission, was later replaced with House language and never reached a conference committee because Senate negotiators were not appointed.
Rep. Della Au Belatti, the caucus’s Democratic co-convener, said a special session could build on that work and wrap in a matter of days, potentially in August, September or October. Belatti, who is running for lieutenant governor in the Aug. 8 primary, said action is needed now rather than waiting for the next regular session in January, noting that fundraising typically ramps up immediately after the general election.
By law, a special session may be convened by a majority of both chambers or by the governor. As of Thursday, Senate and House leaders did not respond to questions about the idea. Gov. Josh Green’s office said no specific proposal has been presented that would justify a special session.
Souza and Belatti were joined by Reps. Ikaika Hussey, Kim Coco Iwamoto, Terez Amato, Garner Shimizu and Elle Cochran, along with retired federal public defender Alexander Silvert and about a dozen supporters.
Although it is unusual to summon lawmakers for a single purpose, Hawaiʻi has done so before, including to pass marriage equality and to authorize the now-defunct Hawaiʻi Superferry to operate.
Advocates say contractor loophole fuels pay-to-play
Aria Juliet Castillo of the Hawaiʻi Alliance for Progressive Action and the Clean Elections Coalition said the principle is straightforward: those with business before government should not finance the campaigns of decision makers. She noted Hawaiʻi passed landmark restrictions two decades ago barring campaign contributions from contracting companies, but a major loophole remained. Owners, executives, officers and immediate family members could still donate, she said, allowing pay-to-play politics to persist.
Castillo added that current disclosure rules do not clearly reveal how much campaign money comes from contractors or their affiliates, making it difficult to assess the full scope of contractor-linked giving.
Evan Weber of Our Hawaiʻi and the Clean Elections Coalition said a special session would be an urgent and meaningful step toward reform. It would not end the influence of money in politics or resolve deeper cultural issues, he said, but it would help restore public trust by showing elected leaders are responsive.
The ongoing case has drawn additional attention following earlier proceedings before a Hawaii political bribery grand jury, intensifying calls for stronger safeguards on campaign contributions.
Advocates said they hope any proposal emerging from a special session will complement existing transparency measures administered by the Office of Elections and other oversight agencies, rather than duplicating efforts.
