Yesterday, Kirk Caldwell urged lawmakers to pass a law requiring drivers to move over or slow down when passing police, fire or emergency response vehicles.

“Two of Honolulu’s finest have lost their lives in such accidents over the past six months. If this bill has a chance of saving one life, it’s worth it,” Caldwell said in a press release about his testimony.

Though he also says the bill should be expanded to include road maintenance workers and others, the publicity campaign is at least in part an attempt to win the hearts of the State of Hawaii Police Officers Union. SHOPO endorsed Caldwell in the 2010 mayor’s race.

Former Gov. Ben Cayetano downplayed the importance of union endorsements in general, but told Inside Honolulu yesterday that he’s already interviewed with SHOPO.

“That’s one union I respect,” Cayetano said.

In an impromptu press conference on the lawn of the Hawaii State Library earlier this week, Mayor Peter Carlisle said he’d prefer not to get SHOPO’s stamp of approval.

“I’ve never gotten an endorsement from SHOPO. I do not want it ‘cause I think it would be bad luck,” said Carlisle, for 14 years the city’s prosecutor. “And number two, I don’t think that they should be involved in that type of politics. I think they should stay on the sidelines and keep politics out of police work.”