Hedging their bets: The email from the Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee popped up in the The Blog’s inbox at 12:46 p.m. Thursday: Senators were going to talk about a bill granting 20-year licenses for casinos in the planned New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District and the old Hawaiʻi Convention Center.

Casinos! In one of only two states that prohibit (legal) gambling!

Problem was, the hearing was scheduled for 1:20 p.m. that very day. That meant The Blog and anyone else who wanted to learn more would have to hustle to get to Conference Room 229 at the Capitol. Adding to the confusion was the fact that the link to the proposed draft of the bill was pretty much blank — no mention at all of casinos.

Such legislative shape-shifting is not uncommon at the Big Square Building on Beretania. Legislators are allowed to introduce short-form bills — nearly empty legislation that can be filled in after the deadline for introducing measures, which was in late January.

The only requirement is that short-form bills specify a general subject such as energy, environment or economy. There are dozens floating around the Legislature this session like frozen embryos waiting to be fertilized.

In this case the subject was “Relating to the Economy,” which the committee morphed into a casinos bill. Senate Bill 893 would set up a Hawaiʻi Gaming Control Commission, impose a 15% tax on gross receipts and create a State Gaming Fund and Compulsive Gambler Program.

Civil Beat opinion writers are closely following efforts to bring more transparency and accountability to state and local government — at the Legislature, the county level and in the media. Help us by sending ideas and anecdotes to sunshine@civilbeat.org.

Another short-form bill was converted into Senate Bill 891, which would create a Gaming Working Group within the Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism to “develop a comprehensive gaming policy framework” for the state. That second one already has a hearing scheduled for Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Senate Economic Development and Tourism Committee Chair Lynn DeCoite said the public will get the chance to weigh in on both the gambling bills.

The odds are likely stacked against them, however. DeCoite and Sens. Carol Fukunaga and Glenn Wakai (he’s the driving force behind the stadium entertainment district) voted to proceed with the two bills Thursday, but the other two committee members, Sens. Donna Kim and Brenton Awa, voted no.

Gambling bills surface every year at the Legislature, but they always turn into losing hands. Just like recreational marijuana legalization.

Leveling the playing field: Two bills to help attract more candidates to run for office cleared their first hurdles Thursday in the Senate Judiciary Committee and now await consideration from the Ways and Means Committee.

The first is the comprehensive public financing of elections measure, Senate Bill 51, authored by Judiciary Chair Karl Rhoads. A similar measure has died two years in a row, as some Democratic legislators fear that having more competitive races might mean that they would lose — maybe even to a Republican!

As currently drafted, candidates for governor could receive a maximum of $2.5 million in an election cycle if they could demonstrate the minimum number of 6,250 qualifying contributions. Hawaiʻi races for governor typically cost winning candidates several million dollars.

One noteworthy change to SB 51: It would not go into effect until the 2028 election. The Campaign Spending Commission asked for the delay, as the 2026 election cycle is already underway.

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 345 also moved from JUD to WAM. Submitted by the commission, it would raise the cap on the maximum amount of matching funds available to candidates from the Hawaiʻi Partial Public Financing Program.

As currently drafted, SB 345 would:

• increase the maximum expenditure limits for participating candidates by 20%;
• raises the maximum amount of funds available from 15% of the limit to 67%; and
• increases the matching fund ratio from $1 raised for each $1 of qualifying contributions to $2.

The Hawaiʻi Election Campaign Fund balance is currently a paltry $2.2 million, an amount the commission says won’t help many candidates be competitive. The financial request for the partial financing program is $16 million for each of the next two fiscal years.

Schatz’s all-nighter: U.S. Senate Democrats in Washington, D.C., last week held the Senate floor for 30 consecutive hours in a failed attempt to delay the confirmation of Russell Vought to be director of the Office of Management and Budget.

Vought, according to a press release from Hawaiʻi Sen. Brian Schatz, is one of the chief architects of “Project 2025,” the “radical, right-wing manifesto” to slash federal funding.

Here’s what Schatz had to say during the marathon session: “I am an adult. I have been here for 13 years. I’ve been in the majority. I’ve been in the minority. I’ve been in sort of every iteration of whatever elections bring. That’s OK. That is the way this process works. What is happening right now is an attempt to reorder the whole damn system in a way that is going to make every individual citizen across the country less powerful.” 

Vought was confirmed to lead OMB by a vote of 53-47 in the Republican-controlled chamber. Watch Schatz’s full remarks:

Missing in action: One of the most consistently outspoken voices at the Legislature, especially for GOP views, has been absent so far this session.

Rep. Gene Ward, the longtime Hawaiʻi Kai Republican, has missed the first 15 session days of the 60-day session — all of January and the first week of February. It has made House floor sessions and committee hearings less fun, albeit shorter.

House majority and minority leadership declined to comment, and Ward did not respond to messages. Whatever the reason for his absence, The Blog wishes the rep well and hopes for his imminent return, if only to hear him say, “Madam Speaker, I rise to speak in opposition to the measure before us.”

Going with Philly: Vaigai, the Honolulu Zoo’s 39-year-old Asian elephant, picked the Philadelphia Eagles to win Super Bowl LIX on Sunday in New Orleans. Here is how the verdict was reached, according to this breathless account provided by city officials:

“As zoo visitors watched in anticipation, Vaigai marched her way straight toward the watermelon with the Kansas City Chiefs logo, seemingly intent on showing her support for Patrick Mahomes and company to become the first NFL team to win three straight Super Bowls before wavering. At the last second, Vaigai turned on a dime like Eagles running back Saquon Barkley and stomped on the Philadelphia-themed watermelon before scooping it up into her mouth.” 

Vaigai shares her habitat with a second Asian elephant, 49-year-old Mari. Ian Scheuring, the deputy communications director in the Office of Mayor Rick Blangiardi and a former gridiron standout himself, says the zoo’s elephants have correctly picked the winner three out of five times.