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MR. ODA: Since the last time that I spoke to you <br /> last week, I stated, I believe, on the record that I did not <br /> know of any law that referred to Mr. Ishida' s concern about <br /> whether the majority or plurality controls. <br /> We did find in Section 50-11 , Hawaii Revised Statutes <br /> a provision regarding charter amendments. Let me read that. <br /> "Every charter established under this chapter <br /> shall provide means by which the charter may be amended or <br /> revised. . .no problem. . .the provisions for amendment and revision <br /> must provide for approval of all amendments and revisions by <br /> referendum to the electors of the county. . .no problem. . .the <br /> amendment or revision shall be considered ratified,-if a majority <br /> of the electors voting on the amendment or revision cast their <br /> ballots in favor of adoption. " <br /> "® ®=®majority of the electors voting on the <br /> amendment or revision cast their ballots in favor of adoption. " <br /> The question that comes up is if you break it down <br /> into too many options can you even get a majority at all? <br /> The more options you have, the less chance there will be for <br /> any majority to come about. <br /> So according to the present state of the law, Section <br /> 50-11 , you have to have a majority for any amendment. A majority <br /> of the electors voting. So, if you have ten in people voting, <br /> the amendment has to have six. <br /> MR. TRULSON: On a specific amendment. <br /> MR. ODA: On the amendment or a revision. <br /> MR. OMONAKA: So, would you interpret that six, in <br /> this particular instance, would carry? But actually it is not <br /> a specific proposal but less than the majority obviously. . . <br /> MR. ODA: Well , again , I cannot put my stamp of <br /> guarantee on something like that. <br /> MR. ISHIDA: If you put four options, I would say <br /> any of the options other than the present one must get 51% <br /> for the present system to be defeated. <br /> If you offer it as an option of the four, what I <br /> think you ' re doing is you 're guaranteeing its retention. <br /> Because I don ' t think each one of the other three can get 51%. <br /> To me, it ' s almost an impossibility. <br /> MR. TRULSON : You would have to go with the way <br /> you have it. Yes , no and if the yesescarry, that ' s the <br /> majority. Then the plurality of which option is chosen. <br /> MR. ODA: As I say, that ' s my opinion. . . <br /> -33- <br />