Lt. Governor Discusses Con Con On Maui
Lt. Governor Aiona spoke last week to the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce, spotlighting the opportunity for the first time in 30 years to hold a convention to update the Hawai`i State Constitution.
The Lt. Governor addresses the Maui Native Hawaiian Chamber of Commerce.
“There is an entire generation out there, including my own children, who have never known what it is like to have a constitutional convention in Hawai‘i and what it means to contribute to the evolution of our State Constitution, which represents the guiding principles and values of our citizens,” Lt. Governor told an audience of about 50 people gathered at the Fairmont Orchid Hotel.
The Lt. Governor added that the question of whether or not to convene a constitutional convention is among the most important decisions the people of Hawai`i will make in the 2008 General Election.
Compounding the decision, he said, is the fact that blank ballots take on a new meaning. That is because when voting whether to hold a constitutional convention, as well as constitutional amendments, blank ballots are counted as “no votes,” he said.
“That is why it is important to make sure you have all the information available to make a well-informed decision,” Lt. Governor Aiona said.
Last month, Lt. Governor Aiona announced the findings of the Constitutional Convention Cost Task Force, which was an 11-member, non-partisan group of government, legislative and public leaders that studied the potential cost of a constitutional convention in Hawai`i. The task force found that a fully-operational, well-organized constitutional convention could be held for less than $10 million.
"Ultimately, it is up to the people of Hawai`i to decide if this is the right time to hold a constitutional convention," Lt. Governor Aiona said.
On Tuesday, the Lt. Governor spoke to the Windward Sunrise Rotary Club to educate and inform its members about a constitutional convention in Hawai`i.
