Furor flares over student
nominee to UH regents

Partisan politics erupted on the Senate floor late Friday as the chamber's Republicans angrily walked off the floor before a vote on the confirmation of Gov. Linda Lingle's student nominee to the University of Hawaii Board of Regents.

The nomination of Dylan Nonaka, a student senator at the university's Hilo campus, was rejected 19-0 with one Democrat and the Senate's five GOP members excused.

Earlier this week, the Senate Committee on Higher Education recommended against Nonaka's confirmation, citing an overwhelming amount of testimony against the 1999 Konawaena High graduate.

Republicans objected to the floor vote, noting that Sen. Gordon Trimble, the party's lone representative on the higher education committee, had his vote mis-recorded. Trimble supported Nonaka.

GOP members also called into question the testimony submitted on Nonaka's nomination, noting that some who signed a petition letter against his confirmation later said they were misled into thinking they were signing a letter opposing tuition increases throughout the university system.

During Friday's floor session, Minority Leader Fred Hemmings attempted to prevent a vote by introducing a governor's message withdrawing Nonaka's nomination.

He was prevented from doing so under Senate rules invoked by majority Democrats.

When Minority Floor Leader Bob Hogue tried to object, Senate President Robert Bunda ruled him out of order and asked that he be escorted from the floor.

Hogue instead led a walk-off of the other four GOP members who were present.