The state Reapportionment Commission meets tomorrow with two new committees ready to start business. Commission
set to redraw
political boundaries
based on censusThe commission will draw the new district boundaries for state and federal political offices according to new population data from the 2000 census.
The eight commissioners, selected by the Republican and Democratic leaders in the state House and Senate, must pick a ninth member to be chairman of the commission.
Commissioners Lori Hoo, former interim executive director of the Hawaii Community Development Authority, and Deron Akiona, executive director of the Haku Alliance, are charged with recommending names for the chairmanship position.
And commissioners David Rae, manager of public affairs at Campbell Estate, and Jill Frierson, former GOP state executive director, are in charge of the committee on rules.
The commission will meet at 2 p.m. in Room 329 at the state Capitol.
Dollars for Duke: Honolulu Councilman Duke Bainum will kick off his run for Honolulu mayor with a fund-raiser on May 29.
The fund-raiser will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Japanese Cultural Center, 2454 S. Beretania St.
Bainum plans to run for mayor in a special election after the expected resignation of Mayor Jeremy Harris, who has announced his candidacy for governor.
Bainum was a state lawmaker for four years before being elected to the Council in 1994.
Tracking trends: State Rep. David Pendleton (R, Kailua) has been selected for the Toll Fellow Program, sponsored by the Council of State Governments.
The seminar will be held Aug. 18-23 in Lexington, Ky., and is named for the Colorado state senator who founded the Council of State Governments.
The program will focus on trends analysis, policy development and institutional changes.
A voice for vocation: State Sen. Fred Hemmings (R, Waimanalo) will give the address at graduation ceremonies Wednesday for 37 trainees of the Hawaii Job Corps.
The ceremony will be held 6:30 p.m. at the Job Corps campus in Waimanalo.
Graduates are completing training in nine vocations, and many will be receiving high school diplomas.
Losing patients: The arrest of a Hawaii State Hospital escapee last week has led to Rep. Charles Djou (R, Kaneohe) calling for increased security at the Kaneohe facility for the mentally ill.
Leonard Moore escaped twice from the hospital. He escaped March 28 but was arrested several days later. He escaped again April 7 and was recaptured last week in Kahala. Police had shot at a man they believe was Moore, who is a suspect in an auto theft and other crimes in the Waialae-Kahala area.
"I am extremely frustrated at the seeming regularity of escapes at the state hospital, which is located in my community," Djou said.
Djou sponsored legislation this past session to increase security at the hospital, but the measured was stalled.
"I hope the next Legislature will fully fund security for the state hospital and reform hospital security operations," Djou said.
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