Hawaii Senate

Hawaii State Senate
Hawaii State Legislature

Type
Type	Upper House
Term limits	None
History
New session started	January 21, 2015
Leadership
President of the Senate	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	Democratic (23) Republican (1) Vacant (1)
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]

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	7001960000000000000♠96%	7000400000000000000♠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	Maui	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

↑ Appointed to seat on January 7, 2013 by Governor Neil Abercrombie after Shan Tsutsui was appointed to be Lieutenant Governor.^[6]
↑ 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

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

External links

Members of the Hawaii State Senate

28th Legislature (2015–2016) President of the Senate: Ron Kouchi (D) Vice President of the Senate: Will Espero (D) Majority Leader: J. Kalani English (D) Minority Leader: Sam Slom (R)

Kaiali'i Kahele (D) Russell Ruderman (D) Josh Green (D) Lorraine Inouye (D) Gilbert Keith-Agaran (D) Rosalyn Baker (D) J. Kalani English (D) Ron Kouchi (D) Sam Slom (R) Les Ihara, Jr. (D) Brian Taniguchi (D) Brickwood Galuteria (D) Suzanne Chun Oakland (D) Donna Mercado Kim (D) Glenn Wakai (D) Breene Harimoto (D) Clarence K. Nishihara (D) Michelle Kidani (D) Will Espero (D) Mike Gabbard (D) Maile Shimabukuro (D) Donovan Dela Cruz (D) Gil Riviere (D) Jill N. Tokuda (D) Laura Thielen (D)

Democratic (24) Republican (1) Hawaii Legislature Hawaii House of Representatives Hawaii State Senate

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Authority control	WorldCat Identities VIAF: 142516746 LCCN: nr97020286 GND: 380419-7

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