Bronster becomes HILO >> Former state Attorney General Margery Bronster will speak on behalf of Sen. Lorraine Inouye tomorrow in Hilo.
issue in Hilo race
She will speak at state
Senate candidate
Lorraine Inouye’s rallyBy Rod Thompson
rthompson@starbulletin.comBronster's appearance is a jab at Inouye's opponent, Sen. David Matsuura.
Inouye's announcement noted she voted for Bronster when Gov. Ben Cayetano nominated her for reappointment in 1999. Matsuura voted against Bronster. Her reappointment failed in a 14-11 vote.
Observers said it was punishment for Bronster's investigation of alleged wrongdoing in the Bishop Estate, now Kamehameha Schools.
The investigation led to major changes in the way the estate is run. Matsuura said at the time that Bronster wasn't a good administrator.
Matsuura told the Star-Bulletin last week that Bronster accomplished little regarding Bishop Estate. The biggest changes were brought about by the Internal Revenue Service, he said.
Three years have passed since Bronster's reappointment failed, but Big Islanders have not forgotten it, said University of Hawaii at Hilo political science professor Rick Castberg.
Inouye and Matsuura, both incumbent Democrats, were thrown into the same 1st District Senate race (Hilo to Waimea) by redistricting.
"They tend to agree on most issues," Castberg said.
But people identify Matsuura with his vote against Bronster and, this year, against a doctor-assisted suicide bill, he said.
Inouye also said those two topics created "strong feelings" among voters.
Inouye invited Bronster because voters want to know "whatever happened" to her.
Bronster will speak at 4:30 p.m. at Inouye's headquarters on ethics in government. She could not be reached for comment on whether she will include her 1999 experience.
"We gave her free rein," Inouye said about the talk.
Matsuura, as chairman of the Senate Health Committee, was criticized for his comments on the physician-assisted suicide bill last spring and after his committee shelved the measure. He admits calling the bill "dumb," but says people don't understand the details.
Inouye says she supports such a measure.
In Oregon, the only state that allows doctors to prescribe an overdose of prescription drugs, U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft is trying to block the state law, Matsuura said. A better path for Hawaii is to increase legal protection for doctors who give large doses of drugs to control pain and suffering, he said.
