Senators continue to plot with each other in private meetings in an effort to get the magical 13 votes needed to reorganize. Reorganization
of state Senate
still up in the airThere are three possible outcomes to all this activity.
The first, and some would say most likely, is that the senators won't be able to agree on who should lead the body, and current Senate President Norman Mizuguchi and those in leadership positions will keep their jobs.
The second scenario is a complete reorganization of the Senate, starting at the top with the president.
The third possibility is that Mizuguchi will keep his job, but some top leadership positions -- including the Ways and Means Committee and the Judiciary Committee -- will change.
By most accounts as of Friday, Senate Democrats were divided into about four groups which cannot agree on the best way to organize the body. One group consists of freshman Sens. Colleen Hanabusa, David Matsuura, Jonathan Chun, Jan Buen and Bob Nakata, plus Sens. Marshall Ige and Joe Tanaka.
Another group consists of Sens. Avery Chumbley, Les Ihara, Carol Fukunaga, Andy Levin, Matt Matsunaga, David Ige and Suzanne Chun Oakland.
A third group consists loosely of Sens. Brian Taniguchi, Brian Kanno, Cal Kawamoto and Rod Tam. The fourth group holds Sens. Randy Iwase, Norman Sakamoto, Bobby Bunda and Lorraine Inouye. Tam and Tanaka are said to be moving between various groups. Kawamoto and Mizuguchi are also allied.
The two Republican senators, Sam Slom and Whitney Anderson, are sitting on the sidelines watching and could join in if the right offer comes along.
FILLING SEATS: House Speaker Calvin Say has tapped Rep. Scott Saiki (D, McCully), an attorney, to become vice chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
Saiki replaces Rep. Eric Hamakawa (D, Hilo), who will be promoted to chairman when current Chairman Paul Oshiro (D, Ewa Beach) resigns Dec. 15. Oshiro is taking a job as a lobbyist with GTE Hawaiian Telephone.
The House must still approve Saiki and Hamakawa, but so far there hasn't been much opposition to the promotions.
As of last week, Gov. Ben Cayetano still had not named a replacement for Oshiro's seat, although he said in a recent news conference that he intends to do so before the legislative session convenes Jan. 19. The governor has asked for recommendations from Oshiro and from Democratic Party officials in the area he represents.
"A big consideration for me in making the appointment is whether this person has a good chance of retaining that seat (in the 2000 elections), otherwise why should I appoint him?" Cayetano said.
"I don't intend to appoint someone just to fill up space. I want somebody to go through the benefit of the session and use that experience to help his district."
BONO LUNCHEON: The Hawaii Republican Party will host a luncheon honoring Congresswoman Mary Bono (R-Calif.) on Dec. 1 at the Sheraton-Waikiki Hotel.
Bono -- the widow of former entertainer, Palm Springs Mayor and U.S. Rep. Sonny Bono -- was elected to her husband's seat. Tickets for the luncheon are $50 each. Reserved tables for 10 are available for $1,000, $1,500 and $5,000.
Contact the Republican Party at 593-8180 for more information.