Plans may alter isle The boundaries of Hawaii's two U.S. House districts would be radically altered under a plan that would align Kauai and most of Oahu in one congressional district, while the rest of the island chain would make up the other.
U.S. House districts
One plan cuts Oahu's southeast
tip; the other shifts Waipahu
to the urban districtBy Pat Omandam
pomandam@starbulletin.comCurrently, Hawaii's 1st Congressional District encompasses urban Honolulu. The 2nd District covers the rest of Oahu and all the neighbor islands.
"Basically, it's a change. And all change is uncomfortable," said David Rosenbrock, reapportionment project manager.
The redistricting proposal, one of two that redraws the state's U.S. House seats, would split Oahu at its southeast end.
The proposed dividing line between the districts would run along Bishop Street, up Nuuanu Avenue and the Pali Highway and, on the Windward side of the Koolau Mountains, would run somewhere between Kaneohe and Kailua.
Everything north of the line would be in the 2nd District, the seat now held by Democrat Patsy Mink. Everything south of it would be the 1st District, which is fellow Democrat Neil Abercrombie's territory.
Both Abercrombie and Mink could not be reached for comment yesterday.
The 2001 Reapportionment Commission will be asked at its meeting tomorrow to review this plan, as well as a more traditional redistricting plan.
The other proposal basically moves much of Waipahu from Mink's rural district to Abercrombie's urban district to account for the 6 percent growth this past decade in Central and Leeward Oahu.
Commissioners will likely choose from among the two plans next week.
By law, Hawaii's congressional districts must be equally reapportioned according to the latest census numbers. The goal is to place 605,756 people in each district based on census data, Rosenbrock said.
Some political observers say the north-south plan would make it harder for Republicans to win Mink's district because of Kauai's Democratic stronghold. But it gives Republicans a stronger chance at Abercrombie's seat in the south.
North-south congressional boundaries were proposed in past reapportionment commissions in 1981 and 1991 but were disregarded.
The commission is working under an Aug. 2 deadline to complete draft congressional and state legislative redistricting plans, as well as staggered terms for the state Senate. It is expected to publish these preliminary plans in mid-August, with statewide public hearings set for September.
The commission hopes to adopt a revised plan by early October.