Hawaii ranks high in Campaign Disclosure Project 2008

The Campaign Disclosure Project monitors how well states bring "sunshine" to the arena of political money. That includes campaign disclosure laws, electronic filing programs, disclosure content accessbility, and online usability.

Hawaii ranked very high at #7 out of 50 states. In fact, in the area of campaign disclosure laws, Hawaii received a grade of A- and ranked #5; in the area of electronic filing programs, Hawaii received a grade of A+ and ranked #1.

Here's an excerpt from the report on Hawaii:

Hawaii earned an A- and ranked 5th in the Campaign Disclosure Law category in 2008. Campaigns are required to itemize contributions of $100 or more, though occupation and employer data is not disclosed until a donor gives $1,000. The law’s strong points include requirements for detailed disclosure of campaign expenses (including subvendor data), loans, and independent expenditures. Hawaii again earned an A+ and number one ranking in the electronic filing category in 2008. Following the passage of House Bill 1130 in 2007, all statewide and legislative candidates are required to file disclosure reports electronically, regardless of amounts raised and spent, and exemptions are no longer made.