Honolulu Weekly

What was your biggest accomplishment this session?
“For myself and I believe for the entire Senate, our biggest accomplishment was passing a balanced budget at a time when our state was facing a $2.2 billion shortfall. Our challenge was to increase revenues and cut spending while also maintaining our social safety net, minimizing impacts on working families and the poor, and preserving as many jobs as possible. Targeted tax increase made up ten percent of the deficit. We accounted for another fifty percent by carefully trimming state programs and spending.
All of us worked hard to direct budget discussions and economic consideration toward our core goals. It should go without saying that many individuals were involved. Personally, I closely monitored negotiations, encouraged open discussions, and reinforced our duty to fulfill our constitutional mandate in a careful, humane way.”

With which piece of 2009 legislation are you most proud to be affiliated and why?
“I am proud to have been involved in the passage of Senate Bill 1677, which establishes that the sale of ceded lands will require the approval of two-thirds of both chambers of the legislature. The lingering question of how to protect ceded lands and demonstrate our commitment to our Native Hawaiian community came to a head with the decision of the United States Supreme Court giving the State the authority to sell or transfer the former crown lands. This bill provides answers and security in the face of those questions.”

I was closely involved in drafting the bill, and participated on the long and eventually productive negotiations that surrounded its passage.

What was the biggest disappointment of the session and how might a similar disappointment be prevented in the future?

“We have still not fully solved our state’s economic concerns. With the state in the middle of an economic crisis, I was disappointed that the Lingle administration has not successfully floated the bonds necessary to push our economy forward. I am also disappointed that the administration has not taken adequate action to obtain AARA funds to assist our educational system.”

Debating which issue turned out to be the biggest distraction from your priorities?

“The legislature does a lot of business in a short period, so almost any issue may seem to be a distraction. However, every public debate also represents public interest in the legislature’s work, which in turn encourages public participation in the process.”

What’s one thing you wish voters better understood about you or the political process as a whole?

“I hope the public will realize that reviewing, considering and passing legislation is truly a process. With 51 unique individuals in the House of Representatives and 25 in the Senate, achieving consensus is often a challenge. Passing a bill into law requires the concurrence of a majority of each chamber, and veto overrides require a two-thirds majority of each. No single Senator or Representative controls the process. Discussion, negotiation and compromise are required. That is both the challenge and the value of our legislative system.”