(TruthAndLiberty.com) – A legislative proposal in Hawaii that could potentially exclude former President Donald Trump from the 2024 presidential race barely passed a key vote on Tuesday.
The bill, known as Senate Bill 2392, was approved by the Hawaii State Senate Judiciary Committee by a slim margin and is now headed to the full Senate for consideration, as reported by HawaiiNewsNow. The bill aims to give the chief elections officer the authority to decide on Trump’s eligibility, citing his alleged role in the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, as grounds for possible disqualification from holding presidential office.
This move aligns with actions in several other states seeking to prevent Trump, who is leading in the Republican primary race, from being listed on the November ballot.
Despite the bill’s advancement, it has faced significant opposition. Critics argue that it is an overreach, pointing out that Trump has not been formally charged or convicted of insurrection. During the bill’s review, one detractor, Jamie Detwiler, expressed concerns about the bill’s legitimacy and urged legislators not to waste time on what he considered a flawed proposal.
The bill attracted over 300 negative submissions and only about 20 in support, highlighting the controversy surrounding it.
Introduced by Senator Karl Rhoads, a Democrat, the bill seeks to establish a legal framework for excluding or disqualifying candidates from the ballot in Hawaii, a process currently not defined in the state’s laws. Senate Bill 2392, which passed the committee with a 3-2 vote, outlines procedures for contesting a candidate’s inclusion or exclusion from the ballot and sets forth grounds for an election contest complaint based on disqualification criteria.
The legislation specifies that candidates disqualified by constitutional or statutory provisions be omitted from election ballots and prohibits electors from casting votes for any presidential or vice presidential nominee disqualified under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The bill has garnered support from Hawaii’s Democratic Party and represents a significant step in the ongoing debate over election integrity and candidate eligibility. Senator Rhoads, who played a key role in introducing the bill, serves on multiple committees, including the Judiciary Committee, Agriculture and Environment, Public Safety, and Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee.
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