Senate Elects New Slate of Officers
The Hawai’i State Senate has reorganized for the 2007 Legislative Session, with a new slate of officers, a realignment of its committees, and a new set of committee chairs. Sen. Colleen Hanabusa is the newly elected Senate President, with Sen. Donna Mercado Kim as Vice President and Sen. Gary L. Hooser as Majority Leader.
Committee Assignments also have changed. Sen. Rosalyn Baker will serve as Ways and Means Chair; Sen. Clayton Hee will chair the Judiciary and Labor Committee, and Sen. Brian Taniguchi will chair the Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing Committee. A complete listing of the Senate’s leadership team, along with its roster of committee chairs, appears below.
Senate President Colleen Hanabusa said, “We believe that this new leadership structure will provide the people of Hawai’i with the kind of effective, responsive leadership they deserve from their elected officials. Neighbor islands and rural areas are well represented on our new team, and we are determined to make the upcoming legislative session a productive one. Our new committee structure is streamlined to allow our Senators to give prompt and thorough consideration to the issues that affect our state.”
Senate Leadership:
- President: Sen. Colleen Hanabusa
- Vice President: Sen. Donna Mercado Kim
- Majority Leader: Sen. Gary L. Hooser
- Majority Floor Leader: Sen. David Y. Ige
- Majority Caucus Leader: Sen. Shan S. Tsutsui
- Majority Policy Leader: Sen. Les Ihara, Jr.
- Majority Whip: Sen. Norman Sakamoto
- Majority Whip: Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland
Committee Assignments:
- Ways and Means: Sen. Rosalyn H. Baker, Chair; Sen. Shan Tsutsui, Vice Chair
- Judiciary and Labor: Sen. Clayton Hee, Chair; Sen. Russell Kokubun, Vice Chair
- Commerce, Consumer Protection, and Affordable Housing: Sen. Brian Taniguchi, Chair; Sen. David Ige, Vice Chair
- Water, Land, Agriculture, and Hawaiian Affairs: Sen. Russell Kokubun, Chair; Sen. Jill Tokuda, Vice Chair
- Transportation and International Affairs: Sen. J. Kalani English, Chair; Sen. Lorraine Inouye, Vice Chair
- Human Services and Public Housing: Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, Chair; Sen Les Ihara, Jr., Vice Chair
- Economic Development and Taxation: Sen. Carol Fukunaga, Chair; Sen. Will Espero, Vice Chair
- Education: Sen. Norman Sakamoto, Chair; Sen. Jill Tokuda, Vice Chair
- Health: Sen. David Ige, Chair; Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland, Vice Chair
- Tourism and Government Operations: Sen. Clarence Nishihara, Chair; Sen. Donna Mercado Kim, Vice Chair
- Intergovernmental and Military Affairs: Sen. Lorraine R. Inouye, Chair; Sen. Clarence Nishihara, Vice Chair
- Public Safety: Sen. Will Espero, Chair
- Energy and Environment: Sen. Ron Menor, Chair
Sen. Robert Bunda will become President Emeritus of the Senate. Sen. Donna Mercado Kim will serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Legislative Management, and Sen. Shan Tsutsui will serve as Chair of the Subcommittee on Capital Improvement Projects. The announcement was made today at the State Capitol.