Become part of the movement for unbiased, accessible election information. Donate today.
Hawaii Elections Expenditures Not Freedom of Speech Amendment (2022)
| Hawaii Elections Expenditures not Freedom of Speech Amendment | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 8, 2022 | |
| Topic Elections and campaigns | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type Constitutional amendment | Origin State legislature |
The Hawaii Elections Expenditures Not Freedom of Speech Amendment was not on the ballot in Hawaii as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 8, 2022.[1]
This amendment would have symbolically stated in the state constitution that freedom of speech protections do not include monetary expenditures made to influence elections.[1]
Text of the measure
Ballot title
The ballot title would have been as follows:
| “ | Shall the Hawaii State Constitution be amended to symbolically state that freedom of speech protections under the Hawaii State Constitution do not include the expenditure of money to influence elections, as a means to express disapproval of the United States Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United V. Federal Election Commission which allows unrestricted spending by corporations on elections?[2] | ” |
Constitutional changes
- See also: Article I, Hawaii Constitution
The measure would have amended section 4 of Article I of the state constitution. The following underlined text would have been added:[1]
FREEDOM OF RELIGION, SPEECH, PRESS, ASSEMBLY AND PETITION
Section 4. No law shall be enacted respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
The freedom of speech shall not include the expenditure of money to influence elections.[2]
Path to the ballot
- See also: Amending the Hawaii Constitution
The state process
The Hawaii State Legislature can put a proposed amendment on the ballot upon either a two-thirds (66.67%) majority vote in both chambers of the legislature in the same session or two simple majority votes in both chambers held in two successive sessions.
2022 legislative session
This amendment was introduced as Senate Bill 312. The Senate approved the measure 25-0 on February 11, 2022.[1]
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hawaii State Legislature, "Senate Bill 312," accessed February 13, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source. Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; name "quotedisclaimer" defined multiple times with different content
 |
State of Hawaii Honolulu (capital) |
|---|---|
| Elections |
What's on my ballot? | Elections in 2025 | How to vote | How to run for office | Ballot measures |
| Government |
Who represents me? | U.S. President | U.S. Congress | Federal courts | State executives | State legislature | State and local courts | Counties | Cities | School districts | Public policy |
