Legislature Heading for Adjournment

The Hawaii State Legislature is in its final days before adjournment on May 3. This year the session has been characterized by its continuing play to put more power into the legislative branch and stripping power away from the executive branch.

The State Senate in particular has been a huge roadblock for some of the Governor Linda Lingle's cabinet appointees. This past week the State Senate turned down the re-appointment of Dept. of Land and Natural Resources Director Peter Young. Mr. Young had overwhelming support from many people in the State including business, environmental groups and the Hawaiian community. Yet the Senate Committee that turned down his nomination listened to a handful of disgruntled, HGEA union employees within the department. They did everything possible to turn against Mr. Young based on union worker allegations of mismanagement. Most members of the committee as well as the Democrat majority are beholden to their union supporters and voted against Young in a long floor session on Tuesday, April 24 by a 15 to 8 margin.

Earlier this year the Senate turned down Lingle nominee Iwalani White, who was director of the Public Safety Division. They almost turned down a Lingle judicial appointee, the Director of Human Services Lillian Koller and Attorney General Mark Bennett.

Meanwhile questions abound as to what happened to promised tax relief. The $700 million tax surplus is all but spoken for and taxpayers will probably not get much of it back. If the legislature fulfills their obligation, the most we will ever get in a tax refund will probably be $1 each.

The Governor has already let more than 35 bills become law, most of them signed, some without her signature. She has also vetoed about a half-dozen bills including one that would require public safety workers such as policemen and firemen to get union approval before transfers can take place. A bill that would require Hawaii to elect the President of the United States through a national popular vote was also vetoed. Democrats threaten to override some of these bills. Again their union and liberal colors will start to show.

Hundreds of bills are still alive and are winding their way through the conference committee process before they are put up to final voting by the House and Senate next Tuesday, May 1.

Photo: A packed gallery including Governor Linda Lingle, DLNR Director Peter Young, cabinet members, Sierra Club members and supporters sat through a 4-hour long session to hear the State Senate turn down Mr. Young's re-appointment back to the DLNR by a vote of 15 to 8. Mr. Young received rounds of applause and a standing ovation after a rousing speech of support on the Senate floor by Senator Sam Slom. Photo by the author.