Hawaii Senate

Hawaii State Senate
Hawaii State Legislature
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Term limits
None
History
New session started
January 21, 2015
Leadership
Ron Kouchi (D)
Since May 5, 2015
Vice President of the Senate
Will Espero (D)
Since November 5, 2014
Majority Leader
J. Kalani English (D)
Since November 5, 2014
Minority Leader
Sam Slom (R)
Since November 6, 2010
Structure
Seats 25
Political groups
Length of term
4 years
Authority Article III, Hawaiʻi Constitution
Salary $57,852/year +
$175 per diem for non-Oʻahu members, or
$10 per diem for Oʻahu members (2014)[1]
Elections
Last election
November 4, 2014
(13 seats)
Next election
November 8, 2016
(13 seats)
Redistricting Hawaii Reapportionment Commission
Meeting place
State Senate Chamber
Hawaiʻi State Capitol
Honolulu, Hawaii
Website
Official Senate Page

The Hawaiʻi State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. The senate consists of twenty-five members elected from an equal number of constituent districts across the islands. The senate is led by the President of the Senate, elected from the membership of the body, currently Ron Kouchi. The forerunner of the Hawaii State Senate during the government of the Kingdom of Hawaiʻi was the House of Nobles originated in 1840. In 1894 the Constitution of the Republic of Hawaii renamed the upper house the present senate. Senators are elected to four-year terms and are not subject to term limits. Like most state legislatures in the United States, the Hawaii State Senate is a part-time body and senators often have active careers outside government. The lower chamber of the legislature is the Hawaiʻi House of Representatives. The membership of the Senate also elects additional officers to include the Senate Vice President, Senate Chief Clerk, Assistant Chief Clerk, Senate Sergeant at Arms and Assistant Sergeant at Arms.

The Hawaiʻi Senate convenes in the Hawaiʻi State Capitol in Honolulu.

Composition

The Democratic Party holds the largest majority of any state legislative chamber in the Hawaii Senate, with 24 of 25 seats. The Hawaiʻi Senate is also the only state legislative chamber in the United States where the minority party holds only a single seat.[2][3]

See also: Politics of Hawaiʻi

Affiliation Party
(Shading indicates majority caucus)
Total
Democratic Republican Vacant
End of previous legislature (2014) 24 1 25 0
Begin (2015) 24 1 25 0
January 26, 2016[4] 23 24 1
February 16, 2016[5] 24 25 0
Latest voting share 96% 4%

Leadership

Position Name Party District
President of the Senate Ron Kouchi Democratic 8
Majority Leader J. Kalani English Democratic 7
Minority Leader Sam Slom Republican 9

Officers

Position Name
Chief Clerk Carol T. Taniguchi
Assistant Chief Clerk Jennifer T. Chow
Sergeant at Arms Bienvenido C. Villaflor
Assistant Sergeant at Arms Jayson M. Watts

List of current members

District Name Party County(ies) Areas Represented
1 Kahele, KaiKai Kahele Dem Hawaii Hilo
2 Ruderman, Russell E.Russell E. Ruderman Dem Puna, Kaʻu
3 Green, JoshJosh Green Dem Kona, Kaʻu
4 Inouye, LorraineLorraine Inouye Dem Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, Kona
5 Keith-Agaran, Gilbert S. C.Gilbert S. C. Keith-Agaran[Note 1] Dem Maui Wailuku, Waiheʻe, Kahului
6 Baker, RosalynRosalyn Baker Dem South and West Maui
7 English, J. KalaniJ. Kalani English Dem Maui, Kalawao Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi and Kahoʻolawe
8 Kouchi, Ronald D.Ronald D. Kouchi Dem Kauai Kauaʻi, Niʻihau
9 Slom, SamSam Slom Rep Honolulu Hawaiʻi Kai, ʻAina Haina, Waiʻalae-Kahala, Diamond Head
10 Ihara, Jr., LesLes Ihara, Jr. Dem Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Palolo, Maunalani Heights, St. Louis Heights, Moʻiliʻili, Ala Wai
11 Taniguchi, BrianBrian Taniguchi Dem Manoa, Makiki, Punchbowl, Papakolea
12 Galuteria, BrickwoodBrickwood Galuteria Dem Kakaʻako, Ala Moana, Waikiki, McCully, Moʻiliʻili
13 Chun Oakland, SuzanneSuzanne Chun Oakland Dem Liliha, Palama, Iwilei, Kalihi, Nuʻuanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Lower Tantalus, Downtown
14 Kim, Donna MercadoDonna Mercado Kim[Note 2] Dem Moanalua, ʻAiea, Fort Shafter, Kalihi Valley, Halawa Valley
15 Wakai, GlennGlenn Wakai Dem Kalihi, Mapunapuna, Airport, Salt Lake, Aliamanu, Foster Village, Hickam, Pearl Harbor
16 Harimoto, BreeneBreene Harimoto Dem Pearl City, Momilani, Pearlridge, ʻAiea, Royal Summit, ʻAiea Heights, Newtown, Waimalu, Halawa, Pearl Harbor
17 Nishihara, Clarence K.Clarence K. Nishihara Dem Waipahu, Pearl City, Crestview, Manana, Pacific Palisades
18 Kidani, MichelleMichelle Kidani Dem Mililani Town, Waipiʻo Gentry, Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia
19 Espero, WillWill Espero Dem ʻEwa Beach, ʻEwa by Gentry, Ocean Pointe, ʻEwa Villages, Iroquois Point
20 Gabbard, MikeMike Gabbard Dem Makakilo, Kapolei, Kalaeloa, ʻEwa, Waipahu
21 Shimabukuro, MaileMaile Shimabukuro Dem Kalaeloa, Honokai Hale, Ko ʻOlina, Nanakuli, Maʻili, Waiʻanae, Makaha, Makua
22 Donovan Dela CruzDonovan Dela Cruz Dem Mililani Mauka, Waipiʻo Acres, Wheeler, Wahiawa, Whitmore Village, Poamoho
23 Riviere, GilGil Riviere Dem Kunia, Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, Waialua, Haleʻiwa, Kahuku, Laʻie, Kaʻaʻawa, Kaneʻohe
24 Tokuda, Jill N.Jill N. Tokuda Dem ʻAhuimanu, Heʻeia, Kaneʻohe, Kaneʻohe MCAB
25 Thielen, LauraLaura Thielen Dem Kailua, Lanikai, Enchanted Lake, Keolu Hills, Maunawili, Waimanalo, Hawaiʻi Kai, Portlock
  1. Appointed to seat on January 7, 2013 by Governor Neil Abercrombie after Shan Tsutsui was appointed to be Lieutenant Governor.[6]
  2. Became President of the Senate on December 28, 2012, after Shan Tsutsui was appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie to be Lieutenant Governor.[7] Ousted as Senate President in unusual mid-year leadership reorganization on May 5, 2015.[8] First Filipina, but second Filipino American, Hawaiʻi Senate President[9][10]
Entrance to the Hawaii State Senate chamber

Capitol

The Hawaiʻi State Senate has been meeting at the Hawaiʻi State Capitol in downtown Honolulu since March 15, 1969. Previous to the decision of Governor John A. Burns to build the new Capitol building, the Hawaiʻi State Senate met in ʻIolani Palace.

References

  1. National Conference of State Legislatures. "2014 State Legislator Compensation | Living Expense Allowances During Session". Retrieved 10 November 2014.
  2. "Slom crafts strategy as Senate's sole Republican". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. 13 November 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
  3. Greenblatt, Alan (5 February 2013). "Lonely And Frustrated: These May Be The Worst Jobs In Politics". NPR. Retrieved 5 February 2013.
  4. Democrat Gil Kahele (District 1) died.
  5. Democrat Kai Kahele appointed to replace Kahele, his father.
  6. Osher, Wendy (7 January 2013). "Governor Appoints Gilbert Keith-Agaran to Maui Senate Seat". MauiNow.com. Retrieved 3 February 2013.
  7. "State Senate chooses Donna Kim as new president". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
  8. Dayton, Kevin (5 May 2015). "Kauai's Kouchi replaces Kim as Senate president". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Retrieved 5 May 2015.
  9. Medina, Andrei (16 January 2013). "Donna Kim makes history as first Filipina-American Hawaiʻi Senate President". GMA News. Retrieved 19 January 2013. Hawaiʻi Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim will make history on Thursday as she is installed as the first Filipina-American State Senate President.
  10. "Senator Donna Mercado Kim's Biography". Project Vote Smart. One Common Ground. 2012. Retrieved 19 January 2013.

External links

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