A Democrat-led bill in Hawaii that proposes banning former President Trump from the 2024 presidential ballot for causing an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, narrowly advanced on Tuesday.
Senate Bill 2392 survived a procedural vote with the Hawaii State Senate Judiciary Committee approving it by a single vote. It will now advance to the full floor according to Hawaii News Now.
Sen. Karl Rhoads (D-HI) introduced the bill and it is supported by the state’s Democrat Party. The state does not have any legal process in place to exempt candidates from the ballot or to disqualify them from appearing on one. The bill would establish that process.
“The Judiciary Committee amended the bill to make the process for removal for insurrection similar to Hawaii’s election challenge and ballot eligibility procedures,” Hawaii News Now wrote.
(Video Credit: Hawaii News Now)
The bill “specifies that election ballots issued by the chief election officer or county clerk shall exclude any candidate who is disqualified by a constitutional or statutory provision.”
It also “provides for a process for challenging an inclusion or exclusion of a candidate from a ballot. Includes a candidate’s disqualification as grounds for an election contest complaint. Specifies that electors of presidential and vice presidential candidates shall not be individuals who are disqualified by a constitutional or statutory provision. Prohibits electors from voting for any presidential or vice presidential nominee who has been disqualified pursuant to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.”
Rhoads is a member of the Judiciary Committee, the Agriculture and Environment and the Public Safety Committee, and the Intergovernmental and Military Affairs Committee.
“The bill drew more than 300 pieces of negative testimony and only about 20 testimonies in favor. The small conference room was dominated by Trump supporters, who often cheered each other’s testimony,” Hawaii News Now reported.
Hawaii has pushed a Bill that will be used to ban Trump from the ballot. There is no end to this mob rule way of the Democrats. The man has not been convicted of insurrection. But yet they push that narrative. This is exactly what Trump has said all along, massive election… pic.twitter.com/uNfg14qktt — American Woman (@AmericanFWoman) February 7, 2024
Hawaii’s attempt to remove Trump from the ballot follows a number of other states such as Colorado and Maine which have tried to have him banned as a candidate in November. The issue will be heard in front of the Supreme Court.
Trump’s supporters have reportedly been far more vocal on the matter than those pushing the bill, according to Fox News.
“This is tyrannical, to say the least,” Jamie Detwiler, a resident who spoke prior to the vote, asserted. “He has not been convicted nor has he been charged with insurrection (cheers) there is no evidence of committing insurrection so please don’t waste our time on this poorly written piece of legislation.”
There must be a lot of Trump supporters across Hawaii for the #HawaiiDemocrats to pull this communist style of voting tactic. There is no other reason to do this here other than remove the rights for voters to a fair election. Sounds like #Democrats have no option left but to… https://t.co/KWZPZrcvdM — Da Kine (@ResidentAlienHI) February 2, 2024
Detwiler is also the president of the Hawaii Federation of Republican Women.
The committee narrowly voted 3-to-2 to send the bill to the full Senate for a vote. State Sen. Mike Gabbard, former Hawaii Senator Tulsi Gabbard’s father, voted no on the bill as did Republican Brenton Awa.
Tulsi Gabbard is rumored to be “open” to having a conversation with Trump about the possibility of being his 2024 vice presidential running mate, according to Newsweek.
Tulsi Gabbard when asked if Trump asked her to be her running mate would she consider: “I’d be open to that conversation, my mission in life is to serve our country and the American people.” A Trump/Tulsi ticket would dominate in 2024 even with RFK Jr. and his running mate in… pic.twitter.com/uv4kbuNF4t — End Tribalism in Politics (@EndTribalism) February 7, 2024
She commented on the possibility while appearing on Fox & Friends.
“Gabbard was asked about remarks made by economist Stephen Moore, who said that at a recent event, many attendees chose Gabbard as who they think Trump should pick for his vice president,” Newsweek noted.
“I’d be open to that conversation,” Gabbard responded. “My mission in life is to serve our country and serve the American people and find the best way to be able to do that.”