Senate leadership "Still here," Senate President Robert Bunda said late yesterday afternoon after a day of hearing about a proposed reorganization that would oust him as the leader of the state Senate.
at issue
Robert Bunda withstands a try
to oust him as the Senate's presidentBy Crystal Kua
ckua@starbulletin.com"I think there are some hard feelings based on what happened a couple days ago, but when you have issues like this come to fore, you're going to have some unhappy people," Bunda (D, Wahiawa) said. "When that occurs it becomes a challenge to the organization."
What happened a couple of days ago centered on a bill that would allow public employee unions to create a voluntary employees' benefits association, or health plan. The bill was lobbied heavily by the Hawaii State Teachers Association.
A majority of senators, led by Sen. Avery Chumbley, got the bill, which had been stalled in committee, to the Senate floor after suspending rules on internal deadlines.
Senate Vice President Colleen Hanabusa, seen as a key player in the reorganization, said the maneuverings resulted in the disintegration of the Senate's integrity.
"I believe the damage has been done," Hanabusa said. "It depends on what people claim to be a reorganization. The concern that I have with it is the fact that when you have what I consider a travesty upon the institution, at this stage, it may not necessarily be the right thing to say ... you cure one with another."
Hanabusa said a Senate reorganization may become necessary when "we become an ineffective, a totally ineffective body."
In the fall of 2000, Hanabusa, Chumbley and Bunda led three factions that sought to reorganize the Senate after then Senate President Norman Mizuguchi announced that he would not be seeking another term. But each faction did not have enough votes -- a total of 13 of 25 -- to reorganize unless they joined together with other group.
An alliance between Hanabusa's and Bunda's groups led to the current makeup of leadership in the Senate.
Senate Minority Leader Sam Slom said that the leadership compromise struck does not look like it is working.
"My understanding is that the majority party has so many factions that they can't keep track of themselves or their votes," Slom (R, Hawaii Kai) said.
"I think that part of it is because the leadership that we have now in large measure is a compromise that was made last year because no single faction had enough to control and, as we've seen by various votes and by various actions, every once in a while, it smolders up into a little forest fire, a little brush fire."
The reorganization proposal called for Bunda to be replaced by Sen. Matt Matsunaga (D, Palolo), an ally of Chumbley's, to become Senate president.
"People have talked to me about improving the Senate, and I have always willing been willing to improve the Senate," Matsunaga said yesterday.
When asked what those improvements would be, Matsunaga replied, "Certain changes among the Senate presidency."
Although it is not clear whether an attempt will still be made to reorganize the Senate, Matsunaga said, "It's possible."
Matsunaga is seen a possible candidate for lieutenant governor.
Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono has indicated that she will step down to run for Honolulu mayor. The succession law calls for the Senate president to ascend to the lieutenant governor's seat should there be a vacancy.
Slom said the three Republicans were approached by those looking to reorganize for support, and he said that the attempt to reorganize did not make sense, especially with less than weeks left in the session.
"We should be spending more time on economic development and economy stimulus than in trying to replace individuals and going after political vendettas," Slom said. "This VEBA trust really had more to do with other agendas and other priorities. It certainly didn't have anything to do with health care; it certainly didn't have anything to do with retirees."
Hanabusa said that leadership is most important in the ending weeks of the session. "These are most critical 15 days left in the session because this is when the laws are really made, this is when the real changes are. This is really where the rubber meets the road. This is when the budget will be crafted."
Bunda said a reorganization at this point "would be disruptive."
"We only have three or four weeks left to go in this session," he said. "To me, we should balance the budget, take up all these measures that affect the budget, and we should just go home and campaign."
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