Senators Shift Committee Assignments
Senate President Colleen Hanabusa today announced that three state senators will voluntarily shift their committee assignments for the next legislative session, and a new committee will be created.
Senator Brian Taniguchi (District 10 - Manoa, Mo‘ili‘ili, McCully, Makiki), formerly chair of the Commerce, Consumer Protection and Affordable Housing Committee, will assume the chairmanship of the Judiciary and Labor Committee. Current Judiciary and Labor chair Senator Clayton Hee (District 23 - Kahuku, La‘ie, Ka‘a‘awa, Kane‘ohe) will move over to chair the Water and Land Committee. Senator Russell Kokubun (District 2 - Waiakea Uka, Kalapana, Volcano, Kahuku), who has chaired the Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee, will become chair of Commerce, Consumer Affairs, and Affordable Housing.
In addition, a new Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee will be created, with Senator Jill Tokuda (District 24 – Kane‘ohe, Kane‘ohe MCAB, Kailua, Enchanted Lake) as chair.
“All four of these senators have solid experience in the areas served by their new committees,” said Senate President Colleen Hanabusa. “We have a chance to use that expertise and interest in new ways, and keep new ideas flowing in the Senate.”
Senator Hee said he is glad to be addressing concerns with a direct impact on his district. “Water and land are important issues in my district, which is primarily rural. I’m looking forward to working closely with everyone in my district, and with the committee members and the entire Senate, to make sure those areas get the attention they deserve for my constituents and the state as a whole.” Hee also emphasized that he has the experience to take on leadership of the committee. “Given my past experience on the committee, I think I’ll be able to move in the right direction from the first day.”
Senator Kokubun, who chairs the Sustainability Task Force, expressed an interest in looking beyond environmental issues to the economic issues impacting a sustainable Hawai‘i. “I think there’s a tendency for us to focus on the environmental issues, but we need to realize that a holistic approach to creating a sustainable Hawai‘i will pay dividends in the long run. My interest in conservation has not diminished, but I welcome the opportunity to explore some new areas.”
As an attorney, Senator Taniguchi looks forward to the challenges of his new assignment. “Judiciary and Labor is a very active committee,” he said. “There’s a chance here to have a significant impact on our courts and our legal system. I’m not kidding myself. I know it will be a lot of work, but this is a tremendous opportunity. I’m very happy to chair the committee.”
Senator Tokuda served as Vice Chair of the Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee in the past session, her first in the legislature. “I am honored to serve as a committee chair as a freshman,” Tokuda said. “I learned a lot from working with various committees last session, and feel very prepared to take on the challenges of this new committee.”
The membership of some committees will also change, to accommodate the new assignments.
The new assignments take effect immediately.