Hawaii Democratic Gov. Josh Green signed into law a bill aimed at reducing corporate and hard-to-track “dark money” influence in politics, shortly after Thursday’s action in Honolulu. The measure is positioned as a response to the long-running impact of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, which the bill’s supporters say enabled corporations and certain groups to spend unlimited amounts on politics.
The new Hawaii law takes effect July 1, 2027. It uses what supporters described as a “novel approach” by redefining corporations in a way intended to preclude spending on elections. State officials said the change is designed to confront the role of money from entities whose donors may be difficult to track, including groups that do not face required disclosure.
The Supreme Court ruling that underpins the policy fight struck down a ban on corporate and union election spending so long as the money is not donated directly to campaigns. The AP report tied the decision to a 2008 dispute involving Citizens United’s desire to run TV commercials promoting an anti-Hillary Clinton movie while she was running for president.
Supporters of the Hawaii bill said the continuing effects of that ruling can be seen in the scale of outside political spending since 2008. The AP report cited OpenSecrets tracking more than $4 billion in outside political spending in the 2024 federal elections, describing it as almost 12 times as much as in 2008, and it also cited the Brennan Center for Justice’s tally of a record $1.9 billion in dark money spending in 2024.
The Hawaii measure is not the only effort underway. The AP report said a volunteer group in Montana is gathering signatures in hopes of putting a similar issue to voters in November. The development adds to a broader state-by-state push to address corporate and outside spending after Citizens United.
Hawaii Attorney General Anne Lopez opposed the state’s measure, the AP report said, arguing in part that it would be difficult and costly to defend in court. The signing nevertheless moves the law toward implementation, with the effective date set for 2027.
Tom Moore, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, which the AP report said crafted the legal strategy the law is based on, said Hawaii is taking steps to reduce corporate and dark money influence. Moore said the move would send a message that would be heard “loud and clear” across the Pacific and across the mainland, according to the AP.