A ban on food items and other items of nominal value affects state officials and the business of lobbyists.
By Blaze Lovell of Honolulu Civil Beat
Goodies gifted from lobbyists to lawmakers like manapua, PB&J sandwiches, musubi and trinkets are no longer allowed because of new state ethics rules that ban “gifts of aloha” for legislators.
On past opening days of the Legislature, and throughout session, lobbyists and the organizations they represent have showered Hawaii’s lawmakers with those small gifts and food. Giving gifts to lawmakers is generally banned under state law, but the statutes were ambiguous when it came to small items under $25.
The new ban on “gifts of aloha” is just one of dozens of new rules passed by the state Ethics Commission as the Legislature prepares to open the 2021 session next week.