Hawaii Senate
| Hawaii State Senate | |
|---|---|
| Hawaii State Legislature | |
 |
|
| Type | |
| Type | |
|
Term limits
|
None |
| History | |
|
New session started
|
January 21, 2015 |
| Leadership | |
|
Vice President of the Senate
|
|
|
Majority Leader
|
|
|
Minority Leader
|
|
| 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.
Contents
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 |
| 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 | Gil Kahele | Dem | Hawaii | Hilo |
| 2 | Russell E. Ruderman | Dem | Puna, Kaʻu | |
| 3 | Josh Green | Dem | Kona, Kaʻu | |
| 4 | Lorraine Inouye | Dem | Hilo, Hamakua, Kohala, Waimea, Waikoloa, Kona | |
| 5 | Gilbert S. C. Keith-Agaran[Note 1] | Dem | Maui | Wailuku, Waiheʻe, Kahului |
| 6 | Rosalyn Baker | Dem | South and West Maui | |
| 7 | J. Kalani English | Dem | Maui, Kalawao | Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Molokaʻi, Lanaʻi and Kahoʻolawe |
| 8 | Ronald D. Kouchi | Dem | Kauai | Kauaʻi, Niʻihau |
| 9 | Sam Slom | Rep | Honolulu | Hawaiʻi Kai, ʻAina Haina, Waiʻalae-Kahala, Diamond Head |
| 10 | Les Ihara, Jr. | Dem | Kaimuki, Kapahulu, Palolo, Maunalani Heights, St. Louis Heights, Moʻiliʻili, Ala Wai | |
| 11 | Brian Taniguchi | Dem | Manoa, Makiki, Punchbowl, Papakolea | |
| 12 | Brickwood Galuteria | Dem | Kakaʻako, Ala Moana, Waikiki, McCully, Moʻiliʻili | |
| 13 | Suzanne Chun Oakland | Dem | Liliha, Palama, Iwilei, Kalihi, Nuʻuanu, Pacific Heights, Pauoa, Lower Tantalus, Downtown | |
| 14 | Donna Mercado Kim[Note 2] | Dem | Moanalua, ʻAiea, Fort Shafter, Kalihi Valley, Halawa Valley | |
| 15 | Glenn Wakai | Dem | Kalihi, Mapunapuna, Airport, Salt Lake, Aliamanu, Foster Village, Hickam, Pearl Harbor | |
| 16 | Breene Harimoto | Dem | Pearl City, Momilani, Pearlridge, ʻAiea, Royal Summit, ʻAiea Heights, Newtown, Waimalu, Halawa, Pearl Harbor | |
| 17 | Clarence K. Nishihara | Dem | Waipahu, Pearl City, Crestview, Manana, Pacific Palisades | |
| 18 | Michelle Kidani | Dem | Mililani Town, Waipiʻo Gentry, Waikele, Village Park, Royal Kunia | |
| 19 | Will Espero | Dem | ʻEwa Beach, ʻEwa by Gentry, Ocean Pointe, ʻEwa Villages, Iroquois Point | |
| 20 | Mike Gabbard | Dem | Makakilo, Kapolei, Kalaeloa, ʻEwa, Waipahu | |
| 21 | Maile Shimabukuro | Dem | Kalaeloa, Honokai Hale, Ko ʻOlina, Nanakuli, Maʻili, Waiʻanae, Makaha, Makua | |
| 22 | Donovan Dela Cruz | Dem | Mililani Mauka, Waipiʻo Acres, Wheeler, Wahiawa, Whitmore Village, Poamoho | |
| 23 | Gil Riviere | Dem | Kunia, Schofield Barracks, Wahiawa, Waialua, Haleʻiwa, Kahuku, Laʻi.e., Kaʻaʻawa, Kaneʻohe | |
| 24 | Jill N. Tokuda | Dem | ʻAhuimanu, Heʻeia, Kaneʻohe, Kaneʻohe MCAB | |
| 25 | Laura 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.[4]
- ↑ Became President of the Senate on December 28, 2012, after Shan Tsutsui was appointed by Governor Neil Abercrombie to be Lieutenant Governor.[5] Ousted as Senate President in unusual mid-year leadership reorganization on May 5, 2015.[6] First Filipina, but second Filipino American, Hawaiʻi Senate President[7][8]
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
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External links
- Hawaiʻi State Legislature
- Hawaiʻi State Legislature Legislative Reference Bureau
- State Senate of Hawaiʻi at Project Vote Smart
- Hawaii Senate at Ballotpedia
