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State Legislature Who will be the next Hawaii Senate president depends on the outcome of the Nov. 7 election, observers say.
State House By Crystal Kua
Senate leadership depends
on who wins in the
general election
Star-Bulletin"I think you've got to wait until the general election ... to see how many more individuals are going to come in from the GOP side and also what's the count going to be," said Sen. Robert Bunda (D-North Shore), one of the leading players in the different reorganization scenarios.
The "count" to which Bunda is referring is the number of senators needed to form a majority. In this case, it's 13 of 25 senators.
"The bottom line is who's going to be president," said Sen. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Waianae), who leads a group that included the 1998 incoming senators known as the freshmen. Current Senate President Norman Mizuguchi is not seeking re-election.
Bunda, Hanabusa and Sen. Avery Chumbley (D-Maui) have all expressed interest in becoming Senate leader. But the number of senators aligned with each isn't enough for an outright majority.
"I don't believe any one group has enough numbers to reorganize on their own," Hanabusa said. "It's got to be a composite, at least."
'We're in business'
The Republican Party push to increase its presence in the state Legislature could see as many as four to six GOP senators elected, state Republican Party chairwoman Linda Lingle predicted."That is a sizable block - no question about that," Bunda said. Republicans currently occupy two seats in the Senate.
Among the general election Senate races that will be closely watched are:
"If those in fact go Republican, then I believe it will affect the make-up of various groups," Hanabusa said.
For example, Kanno has been rumored to be allied with Hanabusa's group. But if Kanno fails to gain re-election, Hanabusa's loss will be the Republicans' gain in the numbers game.
"If we get five seats, we're in business - we're not going to be ignored," said Sen. Sam Slom (R-Hawaii Kai), the Senate minority leader who also has a general election race.
Lingle also said that the match between Sen. Matt Matsunaga (D-Palolo, Kahala) and Republican Theresa Chun could be worth watching.
Slom and fellow Republican Fred Hemmings, who defeated incumbent GOP Sen. Whitney Anderson Saturday in the Kailua-to-Waimanalo Senate district, said the Republicans could make an impact if they are part of any reorganization.
"Our voice could be heard," Hemmings said. "We're not looking for any favors as Republicans. We're just looking for fair play - something that has yet to be seen in a Democratic majority."
Hogue said that in private conversations he's had with Republicans and Democrats about Senate reorganization, they've said to him, "Isn't this going to be real interesting, because of the number of ways it could go?"
Dialogue between factions
But several Democrats doubt that an alliance with the Republicans would be needed to organize the Senate. Even if the Republicans get five seats, organization among the remaining 20 Democrats is highly possible."I would not form a coalition with the Republicans to organize the Senate," Chumbley said. "I would respect the Republicans, but we are a partisan body. ... The Democratic philosophy is different than the Republican philosophy."
Senators said they expect the Senate reorganization to move swiftly, with a flurry of activity just before and after the general election.
"The bottom line will be personalities. It's more a matter of, can you stomach person 'A' or person 'B'?" Hanabusa said.
Hanabusa said that Republican numbers may not play a role in the initial organization, but said their numbers could be crucial if the Senate is organized with a tenuous 13-member majority. That could leave seven Democrats to possibly partner with five Republicans in persuading one member from the shaky majority to cross over.
Chumbley, Hanabusa and Bunda said the different factions have been talking about general philosophies of reorganization.
"I think the one thing the factions share in common is the concept of openness, as well as sharing power and decision making," Hanabusa said.
For example, Chumbley said, gone will be the days when politically favorable candidates are "slotted" into prime committee chairmanships. "I want to see the right people in the right positions."
Hanabusa and Chumbley also are looking at the formation of a policy committee as a group that could lead the Senate as a collective body.
After failing to oust Manoa Democratic Rep. Ed Case from office, public worker unions may try to defeat him as House majority leader, says Hawaii Democratic Party Chairman Walter Heen. House of
RepresentativesBy Pat Omandam
unions will try to derail Case
on the leadership train
Star-Bulletin"I think that they can still do that," he said. "But whether they will or not, it's a question that the unions and the House members will have to ponder for themselves. I think perhaps some of his statements in the last session made it difficult for many, many House members, so that may affect their attitude toward him this coming legislative session."
Heen said the unsuccessful attempt by public worker unions to oust Case in the primary election surprised him. He thought they would be a little "cagier" than that and let him win, then prevent him from being majority leader.
There may be a shift in House leadership, said Heen, who expects several new Democrats to win election in November.
Case fell out of favor with the unions while pushing civil service reform last session.
The unions put up Democratic challenger Jason K. Iwai to run Case out of office. Instead, Case won with 72 percent of the primary vote Saturday. No other party ran a candidate in his district.
He spent election night on the Big Island and could not be reached for immediate comment. House Speaker Calvin Say (D, Palolo) was away on a business trip during the weekend.
Say and Vice Speaker Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa) are expected to retain their leadership posts, said some House members. But they were uncertain if Case and Majority Floor Leader Nobu Yonamine (D, Pearl City) would keep their leadership posts.
"I don't see any changes to the House leadership, although Case and Nobu have to decide what to do," said state Rep. Nester Garcia (D, Waipio).
Meanwhile, Heen said the House majority may actually lose a couple of seats in November but that it will not affect the party.
"I don't mind having a strong two-party system," Heen said. "I just don't want them (Republicans) to be the winners."
Primary Election Results
