THE SENATE	S.B. NO.	258
TWENTY-SEVENTH LEGISLATURE, 2013
STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

proposing an amendment to article xvi, section 3.5, of the hawaii constitution, to repeal article xvi, section 3.5, which created the commission on salaries..

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  The purpose of this Act is to abolish the commission on salaries that was created by legislation and subsequent ratification in 2006.  The current law gives the commission on salaries, which is not sufficiently accountable to the public, the power to increase legislative salaries.  During these difficult economic times, members of the public have expressed concerns about the large increase in salary that State legislators received in 2009.  This Act will abolish the current system of providing for salary increases, and will allow legislators to enact laws enabling them to deliberate and vote on their own changes in compensation.  The Legislature believes that legislators should deliberate and vote upon their own changes in compensation as a means of making them more accountable to the members of the public whom they serve.  This Act will also allow legislators to enact laws that will better address salary adjustments for other State officials and employees.

    SECTION 2.  Article XVI, section 3.5, of the Hawaii constitution is repealed.

     ["Section [3.5].  There shall be a commission on salaries as provided by law, which shall review and recommend salaries for the justices and judges of all state courts, members of the legislature, department heads or executive officers of the executive departments and the deputies or assistants to department heads of the executive departments as provided by law, excluding the University of Hawaii and the department of education.  The commission shall also review and make recommendations for the salary of the administrative director of the State or equivalent position and the salary of the governor and the lieutenant governor.

     Any salary established pursuant to this section shall not be decreased during a term of office, unless by general law applying to all salaried officers of the State.

     Not later than the fortieth legislative day of the 2007 regular legislative session and every six years thereafter, the commission shall submit to the legislature its recommendations and then dissolve.

     The recommended salaries submitted shall become effective as provided in the recommendation, unless the legislature disapproves the entire recommendation as a whole by adoption of a concurrent resolution prior to adjournment sine die of the legislative session in which the recommendation is submitted; provided that any change in salary which becomes effective shall not apply to the legislature to which the recommendation for the change in salary was submitted."]

     SECTION 3.  The question to be printed on the ballot shall be as follows:

    "Shall the commission on salaries be abolished in order to allow new laws to be enacted which shall: (1) require state legislators to deliberate and vote upon their own adjustments in compensation, and (2) address salary adjustments for other state officials and employees?" 

     SECTION 4.  Constitutional material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.

     SECTION   5.  This amendment shall take effect upon compliance with article XVII, section 3, of the Hawaii Constitution.

 

INTRODUCED BY:	_____________________________

 

 

Report Title:

Abolition of Commission on Salaries; Constitutional Amendment

 

Description:

Repeals the constitutional provision creating the commission on salaries.

 

 

 

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