Rep. Yoshinaga says
leadership excluded her

She says she cannot head the
labor panel with current leaders

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By Richard Borreca
rborreca@starbulletin.com

Eight-year veteran state Rep. Terry Yoshinaga said she asked to be relieved of her post as head of the Labor Committee because the Democratic leadership in the House would not let her function as a chairwoman.

"The policies and protocols of the current leadership have made it impossible for me to continue as labor chair," she said yesterday.

Yoshinaga (D, McCully-Moiliili-Pawaa), said she is bothered by the way her version of a labor bill on privatization was rejected by House leadership during the last regular legislative session.

"I was excluded from participation, and it passed without my direct participation, Yoshinaga said.

"It isn't disagreements -- I was excluded. I was never able to share my views as chair," she said.

House Speaker Calvin Say acknowledged that Yoshinaga had a "difficult time" working with other Democrats and Republicans in the Legislature.

"We tried to explain to her that if we went with her proposal (on a bill to foster privatization of public jobs), we might not have the votes," Say said.

He noted that the bill finally offered by the House was already lacking support among Democrats and was opposed by the 19 GOP members.

During the recently concluded special legislative session, Yoshinaga was the only House Democrat to vote against a bill giving special emergency powers to Gov. Ben Cayetano to deal with problems created by the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Yoshinaga added that she supports changes to the state tax law, including retail tax holidays, and those suggestions have been opposed by other Democrats.

"I have been unable to promote that kind of open-ended change because of the policies and protocols of the leadership," she said.

"I am not against them, but I am not going to be a rubber stamp for someone else's agenda," she complained.

Say, a 25-year legislative veteran, said he can not recall any legislator ever voluntarily resigning a committee chairmanship that is highly prized and fought for by lawmakers.

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