A new Hawaii law intended to curtail political spending by corporations and other wealthy entities won’t achieve its goal and will ultimately suppress the right to free speech of even the people who supported it, says Keli‘i Akina, president and CEO of the Grassroot Institute of Hawaii.
Akina discussed that irony on Thursday, June 18, with Michael W. Perry, host of Hawaii’s most popular morning radio program, “Perry & The Posse,” on KSSK 590 AM and 92.3 FM.
Grassroot filed a lawsuit challenging the new law, Act 11, in U.S. District Court on June 5.
“This is not about partisanship or various sides on any issue,” Akina told Perry. “It’s not about Grassroot Institute. It’s about everyone.”
Akina pointed out that the law was passed over the explicit objections of Hawaii’s own state attorney general, whose office warned the Legislature on multiple occasions that the measure was unconstitutional and would fail in court. Despite those warnings, Akina said, the Legislature and governor pressed ahead.
Akina said that Grassroot is being represented in court by the national Institute for Free Speech, which, he said, has a great record of standing up for the First Amendment.
“Fantastic,” replied Perry. “I can’t believe {the Legislature and governor] didn’t listen to the state attorney general, who has actually probably read the Constitution. That’s very strange.”
To hear the entire 7-minute conversation between Perry and Akina, click on the image below. For more information about the lawsuit, go here.
