Jump to content

Hawaii Senate

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2607:f278:410e:5:dc0:aa74:f9cb:34f2 (talk) at 23:48, 28 March 2016 (→List of current members: cleaned up spelling). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Hawaii State Senate
Hawaii State Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 21, 2015
Leadership
Ron Kouchi (D)
since May 5, 2015
Vice President of the Senate
Will Espero (D)
since November 5, 2014
Majority Leader
J. Kalani English (D)
since November 5, 2014
Minority Leader
Sam Slom (R)
since November 6, 2010
Structure
Seats25
Political groups
  •   Democratic (23)
  •   Republican (1)
  •   Vacant (1)
Length of term
4 years
AuthorityArticle III, Hawaiʻi Constitution
Salary$57,852/year +
$175 per diem for non-Oʻahu members, or
$10 per diem for Oʻahu members (2014)[1]
Elections
Last election
November 4, 2014
(13 seats)
Next election
November 8, 2016
(13 seats)
RedistrictingHawaii Reapportionment Commission
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Hawaiʻi State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawaii
Website
Official Senate Page

The Hawaiʻi State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently Ron Kouchi. The forerunner of the Hawaii State Senate during the government of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was the House of Nobles originated in 1840. In 1894 the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii renamed the upper house the present senate. Senators are elected to four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Like most state legislatures in the United States, the Hawaii State Senate is a part-time body and senators often have active careers outside government. The lower chamber of the legislature is the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives. The membership of the Senate also elects additional officers to include the Senate Vice President, Senate Chief Clerk, Assistant Chief Clerk, Senate Sergeant at Arms and Assistant Sergeant at Arms.

The Hawaiʻi Senate convenes in the Hawaiʻi State Capitol in Honolulu.

Composition

The Democratic Party holds the largest majority of any state legislative chamber in the Hawaii Senate, with 24 of 25 seats. The Hawaiʻi Senate is also the only state legislative chamber in the United States where the minority party holds only a single seat.[2][3]

See also: Politics of Hawaiʻi

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
 Total
style="background-color:Template:Democratic Party (United States)/meta/color" | style="background-color:Template:Republican Party (United States)/meta/color" |
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature (2014) 24 1 25 0
Begin (2015) 24 1 25 0
January 26, 2016 23 1 24 1
Latest voting share 95.8% 4.2%

Leadership

Position Name Party District
President of the Senate Ron Kouchi Democratic 8
Majority Leader J. Kalani English Democratic 7
Minority Leader Sam Slom Republican 9

Officers

Position Name
Chief Clerk Carol T. Taniguchi
Assistant Chief Clerk Jennifer T. Chow
Sergeant at Arms Bienvenido C. Villaflor
Assistant Sergeant at Arms Jayson M. Watts

List of current members

District Name Party County(ies) Areas Represented
1 Vacant N/A Hawaii Hilo
2 Russell E. Ruderman Dem Puna, Kaʻu
3 Josh Green Dem Kona, Kaʻu
4 Lorraine Inouye Dem Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, Kona
5 Gilbert S. C. Keith-Agaran[Note 1] Dem Maui Wailuku, Waiheʻe, Kahului
6 Rosalyn Baker Dem South and West Maui
7 J. Kalani English Dem Maui, Kalawao Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi and Kahoʻolawe
8 Ronald D. Kouchi Dem Kauai Kauaʻi, Niʻihau
9 Sam Slom Rep Honolulu Hawaiʻi Kai, ʻAina Haina, Waiʻalae-Kahala, Diamond Head
10 Les Ihara, Jr. Dem Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Palolo, Maunalani Heights, St. Louis Heights, Moʻiliʻili, Ala Wai
11 Brian Taniguchi Dem Manoa, Makiki, Punchbowl, Papakolea
12 Brickwood Galuteria Dem Kakaʻako, Ala Moana, Waikiki, McCully, Moʻiliʻili
13 Suzanne Chun Oakland Dem Liliha, Palama, Iwilei, Kalihi, Nuʻuanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Lower Tantalus, Downtown
14 Donna Mercado Kim[Note 2] Dem Moanalua, ʻAiea, Fort Shafter, Kalihi Valley, Halawa Valley
15 Glenn Wakai Dem Kalihi, Mapunapuna, Airport, Salt Lake, Aliamanu, Foster Village, Hickam, Pearl Harbor
16 Breene Harimoto Dem Pearl City, Momilani, Pearlridge, ʻAiea, Royal Summit, ʻAiea Heights, Newtown, Waimalu, Halawa, Pearl Harbor
17 Clarence K. Nishihara Dem Waipahu, Pearl City, Crestview, Manana, Pacific Palisades
18 Michelle Kidani Dem Mililani Town, Waipiʻo Gentry, Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia
19 Will Espero Dem ʻEwa Beach, ʻEwa by Gentry, Ocean Pointe, ʻEwa Villages, Iroquois Point
20 Mike Gabbard Dem Makakilo, Kapolei, Kalaeloa, ʻEwa, Waipahu
21 Maile Shimabukuro Dem Kalaeloa, Honokai Hale, Ko ʻOlina, Nanakuli, Maʻili, Waiʻanae, Makaha, Makua
22 Donovan Dela Cruz Dem Mililani Mauka, Waipiʻo Acres, Wheeler, Wahiawa, Whitmore Village, Poamoho
23 Gil Riviere Dem Kunia, Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, Waialua, Haleʻiwa, Kahuku, Laʻie, Kaʻaʻawa, Kaneʻohe
24 Jill N. Tokuda Dem ʻAhuimanu, Heʻeia, Kaneʻohe, Kaneʻohe MCAB
25 Laura Thielen Dem Kailua, Lanikai, Enchanted Lake, Keolu Hills, Maunawili, Waimanalo, Hawaiʻi Kai, Portlock
  1. ^ Appointed to seat on January 7, 2013 by Governor Neil Abercrombie after Shan Tsutsui was appointed to be Lieutenant Governor.[4]
  2. ^ Became President of the Senate on December 28, 2012, after Shan Tsutsui was appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie to be Lieutenant Governor.[5] Ousted as Senate President in unusual mid-year leadership reorganization on May 5, 2015.[6] First Filipina, but second Filipino American, Hawaiʻi Senate President[7][8]
Entrance to the Hawaii State Senate chamber

Capitol

The Hawaiʻi State Senate has been meeting at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol in downtown Honolulu since March 15, 1969. Previous to the decision of Governor John A. Burns to build the new Capitol building, the Hawaiʻi State Senate met in ʻIolani Palace.

References

  1. ^ National Conference of State Legislatures. "2014 State Legislator Compensation | Living Expense Allowances During Session". Retrieved November 10, 2014.
  2. ^ "Slom crafts strategy as Senate's sole Republican". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. November 13, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  3. ^ Greenblatt, Alan (February 5, 2013). "Lonely And Frustrated: These May Be The Worst Jobs In Politics". NPR. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
  4. ^ Osher, Wendy (January 7, 2013). "Governor Appoints Gilbert Keith-Agaran to Maui Senate Seat". MauiNow.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  5. ^ "State Senate chooses Donna Kim as new president". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. December 28, 2012. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  6. ^ Dayton, Kevin (May 5, 2015). "Kauai's Kouchi replaces Kim as Senate president". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved May 5, 2015.
  7. ^ Medina, Andrei (January 16, 2013). "Donna Kim makes history as first Filipina-American Hawaiʻi Senate President". GMA News. Retrieved January 19, 2013. Hawaiʻi Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim will make history on Thursday as she is installed as the first Filipina-American State Senate President.
  8. ^ "Senator Donna Mercado Kim's Biography". Project Vote Smart. One Common Ground. 2012. Retrieved January 19, 2013.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hawaii_Senate&oldid=712416488"