Opinion ID: 2812091
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Effect of Section 14-104 of the LLEP

Text: Fourth, the Plaintiffs point out that Section 14-104, entitled “Statutory and constitutional interpretation,” provides that if any part of the LLEP is invalidated, “then that specific mandatory provision only shall be deemed advisory and expression of the will of the people that the provision shall be implemented into law by whichever government branch or official 23  FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER  who has the power to implement it,” thus placing the responsibility upon the Defendants to “fix” the LLEP to make it enforceable. As the entire LLEP conflicts with, and is therefore preempted by, state law, however, no part of it is amenable to implementation by the Defendants. Therefore, we respectfully disagree with the Dissent’s position that portions of the LLEP should remain as “advisory ordinances.” A county’s power to promulgate ordinances is governed by Article VIII, Section 1 of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, which states, “The legislature shall create counties, and may create other political subdivisions within the State, and provide for the government thereof. Each political subdivision shall have and exercise such powers as shall be conferred under general laws.” (Emphasis added.) Thus, pursuant to the Hawaii Constitution, a county’s powers are limited to those conferred by the legislature under general laws. The legislature has outlined the “General powers and limitations of the counties” in HRS § 46-1.5 (2012). HRS § 46-1.5(13) (2012) provides Each county shall have the power to enact ordinances deemed necessary to protect health, life, and property, and to preserve the order and security of the county and its inhabitants on any subject or matter not inconsistent with, or tending to defeat, the intent of any state statute where the statute does not disclose an express or implied intent that the statute shall be exclusive or uniform throughout the State. . . . 24  FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER  As noted earlier, we need not address whether Chapter 329 discloses a “comprehensive statutory scheme disclosing an express or implied intent to be exclusive or uniform throughout the state,” the first Richardson prong, which parallels this subsection. Even assuming Chapter 329 does not disclose such a scheme, subsection (13) authorizes county ordinances “to protect health, life, and property, and to preserve the order and security of the county and its inhabitants” as long as they are “not inconsistent with, or [do not] tend[] to defeat, the intent of [Chapter 329].” As we held earlier, the purported “advisory ordinances” in the LLEP conflict with Chapter 329 and do not meet this standard. Moreover, Section 14-104, which the dissent posits can remain on the books as an advisory statement expressing the will of the people, is not merely advisory. Rather, it states “that the provision shall be implemented into law by whichever government branch or official who has the power to implement it. . . .” (Emphasis added). It also states that “the council shall take all actions within their power to work with those branches of government to express the will of the people and encourage, support, and request the implementation of those provisions.” Id. (emphasis added). Therefore, the section is actually mandatory, not advisory. 25  FOR PUBLICATION IN WEST’S HAWAII REPORTS AND PACIFIC REPORTER  As noted earlier, state law places responsibility for enforcing penal laws of statewide application on the attorney general. See HRS §§ 26-7, 28-2, 28-2.5. Primary responsibility for initiating and conducting criminal prosecutions within counties is further delegated to county prosecuting attorneys. See Amemiya, 63 Haw. at 427, 629 P.2d at 1129. Not only does the LLEP conflict with state law, the mandatory language of Section 14-104 creates confusion regarding the duties of government officials. Finally, in HRS § 50-15 (2012), the legislature clearly provided that “[n]otwithstanding the provisions of this chapter [governing Charter Commissions], there is expressly reserved to the legislature the power to enact all laws of general application throughout the State on matters of concern and interest . . ., and neither a charter nor ordinances adopted under a charter shall be in conflict therewith.” (Emphasis added). As the “advisory ordinances” contained in the LLEP conflict with State law, they cannot stand.