emiller@westhawaiitoday.com
BY ERIN MILLER | WEST HAWAII TODAY
A bill that would give a portion of uncontested traffic citation fines to Hawaii’s four counties moved forward Wednesday morning.
House Bill 1749, which the Hawaii State Association of Counties asked legislators to consider, passed through the House Transportation Committee with unanimous support.
Maui Rep. Joseph Souki said he’s been asked to hear the bill in the past and always said no.
“This year, I must be softening up,” Souki said. “If this can help the counties, fine.”
Just how much of the uncontested fines — the ones that don’t go to court — might be given to the counties has not yet been determined, Souki said. Suggestions for setting the percentage will likely come later in the process, he added.
No one testified at Wednesday’s hearing, although some officials submitted reports, he said. The state Judiciary’s written testimony warned of difficulties in separating the uncontested fines from contested fine payments, Souki said.
Interim 1st Circuit Court Deputy Chief Court Administrator Calvin Ching, in the Judiciary’s submittal, said the branch did not take a position on the bill’s merits.
Right now, money generated by traffic citations goes into the state’s General Fund.
“Some years ago, the counties came to the state to ask us to take over the district courts,” Souki said.
The state Judiciary agreed to do so, as long as the state could collect the traffic fines. Counties agreed, Souki said.
Some people also expressed concerns about police abusing the ability to direct a portion of fines back to the county budget, Souki said. He doesn’t have a problem if police officers decide to be “more aggressive” in pulling over drivers who are speeding or committing other traffic infractions, he said.
Hawaii County Police Maj. Sam Thomas said the department doesn’t have an official position on the measure.
He said he doesn’t foresee police officers making extra traffic stops to generate revenue.
“We have full trust our officers are above that,” he said, adding Hawaii County’s officers are “more professional” than that.
Drivers stopped by police already assume the county gets money from the traffic stops, he said.
“We’re often queried about that,” Thomas said. “That’s not our purpose.”
emiller@westhawaiitoday.com