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Peanut butter sandwiches, all-expense-paid trips to Washington, D.C., and an iPad were among the gifts Hawaii lawmakers accepted during the last year, a Civil Beat analysis of filings has found.

Legislators reported receiving gifts worth a total of $137,256. Forty-one reported accepting gifts worth at least $200 — the threshold for disclosure to the Hawaii Ethics Commission. They represent 54 percent of Hawaii’s 76 lawmakers.

The state only requires lawmakers “disclose annually a gift or gifts that exceed $200 in value received from a single source.” Most of the big-ticket items came in the form of complimentary travel to national conferences and meetings.

Still, nearly all those who filed also listed gifts of much lesser value. Several lawmakers disclosed $1 peanut butter sandwiches and $2 li-hing mui seeds. Others disclosed lunches, gift baskets, coffee mugs, lei and mochi, all under the threshold.

A total of 59 forms had been filed with the Ethics Commission as of Monday, but only 41 of those forms listed gifts exceeding $200 in value. Eight lawmakers filed blank forms, noting they had not received any qualifying gifts, while 10 lawmakers’ largest reported gifts did not meet the threshold.

The disclosures for the 2011 fiscal year were due June 30, more than a month after the legislative session adjourned. That means any potential conflicts during the session are only now being made public.

Transparency: The $10 Lunch

House Speaker Calvin Say, who reported receiving the highest number of gifts, said he discloses all them — regardless of value — in the spirit of being transparent.

“If I go to a dinner, or a lunch, I report it,” Say said. “If the cumulative is over the threshold, people who look through will see, and if not, at least I still reported it. That’s been my approach … I’m not ashamed of putting down my friends’ names.”

Under the law, disclosing a gift doesn’t mean it’s OK to accept it. It’s against the to accept a gift if it’s obvious that the gift is meant to influence or reward the lawmaker.

Rep. Barbara Marumoto accepted the highest value of gifts — totaling about $9,570. Marumoto reported five separate gifts, all from an organization called to cover traveling expenses for five conferences she attended on the mainland.

All-Expenses-Paid Trips

Rounding out the top five lawmakers who received the highest value of gifts were:

• Rep. John Mizuno: $9,428.37. His largest gift was valued at $2,483.58 for a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a conference on chronic kidney disease in Hawaii, paid for by the Pacific Renal Care Foundation. His smallest gift was a set of DVDs from Relativity Media of Hollywood, valued at $360.

• Sen. Michelle Kidani: $8,801.47. Her largest gift was valued at $5,000 for round-trip airfare, hotel accommodations, meals and ground transportation for a “Goodwill Tour,” paid for by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Honolulu. Her smallest gift was valued at $1,249.60 for airfare, hotel and meals for a “Directors Conference,” paid for by Women in Government. (Kidani did not note where the conference was held.)

• Speaker Say: $7,445.10. His largest gift was valued at $1,740.10, paid for by the Hawaii Tourism Authority, for a “Trip to China” in June 2010. His smallest gifts were a $2 piggy bank from the Hawaii Association for the Education of Young Children, and Kauai Kookie cinnamon toast from (former Kauai City) Council member Derek Kawakami, valued at $3.

• Rep. Kyle Yamashita: $6,610.47. His largest gift was valued at $3,857.45, paid for by the University of Virginia, to attend an Emerging Political Leaders Program. His smallest gift was valued at $360 from Relativity Media for “24 movie DVDs.”

Mizuno, who received the second-highest value of gifts, said he looks for learning opportunities via complimentary trips to conferences or seminars.

“If I’m offered a scholarship and I can improve my knowledge in health care, or human services, or what have you, I owe it to my state and my district to take it,” said Mizuno, who chairs the House committee on Human Services. “Then I can come back and share it.”

‘I’m one of 76’

In addition to accepting among the highest value of gifts, Say also took in the most individual gifts — 226 total. The second-highest was Rep. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, who reported receiving 77 individual gifts.

Say said that most of his gifts were personal and not meant to influence his votes or curry favor.

“Most times, these gifts don’t affect us,” Say said. “As far as the Legislature goes, I’m one of 76. I may direct the traffic of legislation, but it’s really up to the committees to move bills along.”

Non-Travel Gifts Include Food, Event Tickets

Some of the non-travel gift items included:

• Tickets to Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s inaugural ball, valued at $250, given to Sen. Donovan Dela Cruz by architecture, engineering and construction management firm .

• Tickets to the governor’s ball, valued at $250, given to Senate President Shan Tsutsui by the Ko Olina Resort.

• Sony Open tickets, valued at $60, given to Say by Don Horner.

• Puakenikeni lei, valued at $50, given to Rep. Derek Kawakami by Jill Kouchi.
• Manapua and dim sum, valued at $50, given to Rep. Denny Coffman by BioEnergy Hawaii.
• Tickets to the the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ “annual legislative luau luncheon,” valued at $40, given to Rep. Georgette “Jo” Jordan by OHA.
• Potted plants, valued at $20, given to six lawmakers by Hawaiian Electric Co.
• Poi malasadas, valued at $10, given to Rep. Gilbert Keith-Agaran by Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald.
• A pan of broccoli, valued at $6, given to Rep. Henry Aquino by the city’s Honolulu Rapid Transit project.
• Peanut butter sandwiches, valued at between $1 and $5, reported by seven lawmakers from the .
• Plastic piggy banks, valued at between $2 and $3, given to four lawmakers by the .

Noticeably absent from the list of lawmakers who had filed gift disclosures were power players including Sens. Clayton Hee, Les Ihara, Roz Baker, Josh Green, Malama Solomon, and Reps. Rida Cabanilla and Joe Souki.

Kondo of the Ethics Commission said lawmakers are not required to submit a blank form if they did not receive any qualifying gifts during the year. The following eight legislators did anyway: Reps. Isaac Choy, Thomas Brower, Robert Herkes, Mark Nakashima, Gil Riviere, Sharon Har, Jessica Wooley and Sen. Jill Tokuda.

Here’s a listing of lawmakers — in alphabetical order — who reported gifts for the year: