Hawaii lieutenant governors would be banned from holding second jobs under a proposal moving through the House.

House Bill 1075 would ban emoluments for the LGs. If that rule were in effect now, Lt. Gov. Josh Green wouldn’t be able to keep his gig as a Big Island emergency room physician.

Green, who is a likely Democratic candidate for governor next year, would probably not be affected by the bill since it wouldn’t ban outside jobs until November 2022. But future lieutenant governors would be affected.

HB 1075 cleared the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Tuesday afternoon and now awaits a vote by the full 51-member House.

Lt Governor Josh Green speaks during Coronavirus COVID19 press conference. April 8, 2020
Hawaii lawmakers don’t want lieutenant governors holding outside employment while in office. Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2020

Rep. Gene Ward, one of the House’s few Republicans, voted “no” on the measure over worries that it would unfairly target Green.

Last year, lawmakers passed a similar ban on outside employment for county mayors and the governor.

House Speaker Scott Saiki has said that measure was written as a response to former President Donald Trump.

That bill, which will not take effect until Nov. 1, 2022, could impact Kirk Caldwell, the former Honolulu mayor and possible 2022 gubernatorial candidate who for years has earned an outside salary while holding a position on the board of a local bank.

HB 1075, sponsored by House Majority Leader Della Au Belatti, would ban lieutenant governors from receiving any outside “salary, fee, payment, wage, earning, allowance, stipend, honorarium, or reward.” 

The definition of emoluments in state law does not cover retirement or pension payments, Social Security, earnings from stocks funds, real estate or rental property.

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