Candidates are supposed to tell the 2001 state Reapportionment Commission whether they are available to accept chairmanship of the bipartisan panel. Reapportionment
chief to be chosen
By Pat Omandam
Star-BulletinWith a deadline tomorrow, commissioners will meet at 1 p.m. today.
Acting chairman Rick Clifton said yesterday he's optimistic the eight-member body will select a chairman by tomorrow's deadline. The Hawaii Supreme Court is supposed to pick someone if the commission can't.
"We have to give thought to the preferences of the people whose names we've been batting about," said Clifton. "Because for the most part, those people have not been contacted."
Once a chairman is selected, the commission will have 100 days to prepare a proposed reapportionment plan. At least one public hearing on each island will be held to discuss the proposal before it is submitted to chief elections officer Dwayne Yoshina in December.
Assisting commissioners are island advisory councils also appointed by state legislative leaders. These advisory council members are to consult with the commission on reapportionment for their specific island.
Oahu advisory council members are Robert Ogawa, Stephen Goodenow, Geal Fukumoto Talbert and Jim Hall. On Kauai, they are Dennis Esaki, Jerome Hew, Betty Chandler and Trinette Kaui.
Hawaii members are Georgine Busch, Wayne Metcalf, Frank Jung and Shirley Spencer.
Manuel Moniz Jr., Mark Andrews, Fred Rohlfing and Madge Schaefer serve as the Maui council members.
Among those who will be watching the reapportionment process closely are the League of Women Voters of Hawaii. Jean Aoki, past president, said the league will monitor the process but won't get involved unless there is obvious gerrymandering of districts.
"We just want to make sure at this point that they do follow the guidelines as written in our constitution, and that they follow the one-man, one-vote rule," said Aoki, who is hopeful a chairperson will be named by tomorrow.
State of Hawaii
