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Two new groups in the state Legislature have gained power as the Senate Democrats and the House Republicans organized. Democrats, Republicans
shuffle leadershipBy Richard Borreca and
Pat Omandam
Star-BulletinThe organization gives a new group of Democratic senators power to decide the fate of legislation.
Sen. Robert Bunda will head the group as Senate president, with Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, considered the informal leader of five freshman senators in the last two sessions, as vice president and vice chairwoman of the Ways and Means Committee.
Legislative veteran Sen. Brian Taniguchi, who had originally been a candidate for Senate president, will be chairman of Ways and Means.
Heading the powerful Judiciary Committee is Sen. Brian Kanno, who narrowly won re-election in the Kapolei-Ewa Beach district after being criticized as being too close to state unions.
Bunda said the "tough election" taught Kanno to be more open and flexible.
Gov. Ben Cayetano agreed and said he hopes the new Senate lineup will work with him on a series of government reforms.
"I think Sen. Kanno, given his experience in last election, has expressed to me, at least he will be a little more open," Cayetano said.
Cayetano also praised Bunda, calling him skillful and intelligent.
To give more senators a committee while dropping the committee co-chairmen system, Bunda's group expanded the number of committees from 10 to 17.
Each Democratic senator gets either a chairmanship or a leadership position. Besides Bunda and Hanabusa, the other leaders are Sens. Jonathan Chun and Cal Kawamoto as majority leaders and freshman Sen. Kalani English as majority floor leader.
Meanwhile, the House minority yesterday chose Waikiki Rep. Galen Fox to lead what is hoped will be a more aggressive Republican caucus in the House chamber.
Fox said the caucus will be very "democratic" and will involve GOP freshmen from day one. To make his point, Fox deferred further comment to freshmen Charles Djou (R, Ahuimanu) and Mindy Jaffe (R, Kaimuki).
Djou said he thinks there is a new dynamic in the House, and is excited about how aggressive the Republicans can be.
"We're going to be a much more aggressive minority. With 19 we now have over one-third, and for the first time we're getting outside the left pie slice," Djou said.
Jaffe said the veteran Republicans gave the freshmen enormous respect and really listened to their opinions about the minority leadership.
"We're very unified," she said. "We feel like we're working as a team. We want to keep it that way."
Fox displaces Rep. Barbara Marumoto (R, Waialae Iki), who said she was offered the second-in-command post but declined it. She said the seven freshmen made a difference and wanted to get involved in the caucus.
"We're looking forward to a new day," she said. "I think they wanted an aggressive, articulate leadership, and I think they will have it in Galen Fox."
Democratic Senate leaders
Here are the Democrats who will head Senate committees:
Ways and Means: Brian Taniguchi (Manoa)
Leadership of the following committees is tentatively filled subject to senators accepting the assignments:
Republican House leaders
Legislature Directory
Hawaii Revised Statutes
Legislature Bills
