LIHUE — A Kauai County Council committee approved a bill Wednesday designed to bolster transparency by requiring lobbyists to register with the county and disclose financial and employment information publicly. The unanimous vote by all seven council members, who make
LIHUE — A Kauai County Council committee approved a bill Wednesday designed to bolster transparency by requiring lobbyists to register with the county and disclose financial and employment information publicly.
The unanimous vote by all seven council members, who make up the Committee of the Whole, sends the bill to the County Council Jan. 16, as a procedural measure, for final consideration and public input.
“This bill will help us be compliant with the other counties who have, in fact, established with the state the procedure of disclosures,” Council Chair Jay Furfaro, who also chairs the Committee of the Whole, said before casting his vote.
If passed, it would go into effect 90 days after final approval.
A lobbyist, according to a draft version of the bill, is defined as any individual who is paid to engage or is engaged in lobbying or lobbying activities on a particular county government issue or action for more than five hours in any month or spends more than $750 during the county’s six-month financial disclosure period.
The ordinance, however, would exempt individuals who represent themselves; federal, state or county employees acting within their official duties; media companies; attorneys in an advisory capacity; and certain experts and consultants.
The proposed bill also included amendments expanding the amount of financial information that must be disclosed, including how much is spent on print, electronic, broadcast or other media advertisements, and changed the registration deadline date from Jan. 31, 2014 to Jan. 31, 2015.
It would also exempt 501(c)(3) nonprofit employees from registering as lobbyists but require them to submit financial disclosure forms.
Members of county advisory committees or tasks forces would also be barred from lobbying on topics being considered by those boards.
The county Office of Boards and Commission, which will maintain all the financial and registration records, must also post the forms on a department-maintained website within 10 business days of it being received by the Board of Ethics.
“The amendments make this probably one of the strongest (lobbying) bills of all the counties that have one,” Hooser said. “I think this is a major step forward.”
