Hawaii State Senate
| Hawaii State Senate | |
 | |
| General Information | |
| Type: | Upper house |
| Term limits: | None |
| 2013 session start: | January 16, 2013 |
| Website: | Official Senate Page |
| Leadership | |
| Senate President: | Donna Kim, (D) |
| Majority Leader: | Brickwood Galuteria (D) |
| Minority leader: | Samuel Slom, (R) |
| Structure | |
| Members: | 25 |
| Democratic Party (24) Republican Party (1) | |
| Length of term: | 2-4-4 year system |
| Authority: | Art III, Hawaii Constitution |
| Salary: | $48,708/year |
| Elections | |
| Last Election: | November 6, 2012 (25 seats) |
| Next election: | November 4, 2014 |
| Redistricting: | Hawaii Reapportionment Commission |
Contents |
Senators are elected to four-year terms and are not subject to term limits.
Article III, Section 10 of the Hawaii Constitution establishes that the senate shall convene each year in a regular session that begins at 10:00 a.m. on the third Wednesday in January. These regular sessions are limited by the constitution to a period of 60 working days, which exclude Saturdays, Sundays, holidays, and designated recess days.
As of May 2013, Hawaii is one of 12 Democratic state government trifectas.
Sessions
Article III of the Hawaii Constitution establishes when the Hawaii State Legislature, which the Senate is a part of, is to be in session. Section 10 of Article III states that the Legislature shall convene in regular session on the third Wednesday in January of every year. Regular sessions are limited to sixty legislative days, but they can be extended by fifteen days by the Governor of Hawaii or by the request of two-thirds of each legislative house. Section 10 mandates that the Legislature take a mandatory recess of at least five days during each regular session.
Section 10 also contains provisions regarding special sessions of the Legislature. Special sessions can involve both houses of the Legislature or the Senate alone. Special sessions can be convened by the Governor of Hawaii or by two-thirds of the house or houses seeking to convene. Special sessions are limited in length. They are not to last more than thirty legislative days, but they, like regular sessions, can be extended for fifteen days.
2013
- See also: Dates of 2013 state legislative sessions
In 2013, the Legislature will be in session from January 16 to mid-March.
Major issues
Much of the 60 day session will be focused on finances and the state budget. Major issues will include revenue, hotel room tax, GET increase, education funding, and renewable energy tax credits.[3]
2012
- See also: Dates of 2012 state legislative sessions
In 2012, the Senate was in session from January 18 to May 3.
2011
- See also: Dates of 2011 state legislative sessions
In 2011, the Senate was in session from January 19 through May 5.
2010
- See also: Dates of 2010 state legislative sessions
In 2010, the Senate was in session from January 20th to April 29th. The 2011 session starts on January 19, 2011.
Elections
2012
- See also: Hawaii State Senate elections, 2012
Elections for the office of Hawaii State Senate were held in Hawaii on November 6, 2012. A total of 25 seats were up for election. The signature filing deadline was June 5, 2012 and the primary date was August 11, 2012.
The following table details the 10 districts with the smallest margin of victory in the November 6 general election.
| 2012 Margin of Victory, Hawaii State Senate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District | Winner | Margin of Victory | Total Votes | Top Opponent |
| District 23 |  Clayton Hee |
6.9% | 13,035 | Colleen Meyer |
| District 25 | Laura Thielen |
19% | 23,036 | Fred Hemmings |
| District 9 |  Samuel Slom |
20.3% | 24,822 | Kurt Lajala |
| District 12 | Brickwood Galuteria |
29.6% | 14,097 | Liz Larson |
| District 4 | Malama Solomon |
33.2% | 14,762 | Kelly Greenwell |
| District 20 | Mike Gabbard |
43.8% | 13,049 | Dean Kalani Capelouto |
| District 18 | Michelle Kidani |
44.5% | 20,091 | Rojo Herrera |
| District 6 | Rosalyn Baker |
45% | 13,525 | Bart Mulvihill |
| District 22 | Donovan Dela Cruz |
47.1% | 14,133 | Charles Aki |
| District 21 | Maile Shimabukuro |
53.5% | 10,337 | Dickyj Johnson |
2010
- See also: Hawaii State Senate elections, 2010
Elections for the office of Hawaii State Senator were held in Hawaii on November 2, 2010.
The signature-filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was July 20, 2010, and the primary election day was September 18, 2010.
The partisan breakdown of the Senate before and after the election was as follows:
| Hawaii State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 1, 2010 | After the 2010 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 23 | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 2 | 1 | |
| Total | 25 | 25 | |
Campaign contributions
This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in Hawaii in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[4]
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 46 | $1,586,733 |
| 2008 | 26 | $2,020,962 |
| 2006 | 28 | $1,237,247 |
| 2004 | 25 | $1,646,425 |
| 2002 | 59 | $1,635,442 |
In 2010, the total amount of contributions raised in state senate elections was $1,586,733. The top 10 donors were: [5]
| 2010 Donors, Hawaii State Senate | |
|---|---|
| Donor | Amount |
| Hawaii Association of Realtors | $44,100 |
| Ironworkers Local 625 | $34,050 |
| Hawaii State Teachers Association | $32,420 |
| Hawaii Operating Engineers | $18,222 |
| Hawaii Carpenters & Joiners | $16,800 |
| Plumbers & Pipefitters | $16,000 |
| Operating Engineers Local 3 | $16,000 |
| Painters Local 1791 | $13,450 |
| Monsanto | $12,000 |
| Longshore & Warehouse Local 142 | $11,950 |
Qualifications
From Article III, Section 7 of the Hawaii Constitution: No person shall be eligible to serve as a member of the senate unless the person has been a resident of the State for not less than three years, has attained the age of majority and is, prior to filing nomination papers and thereafter continues to be, a qualified voter of the senatorial district from which the person seeks to be elected; except that in the year of the first general election following reapportionment, but prior to the primary election, an incumbent senator may move to a new district without being disqualified from completing the remainder of the incumbent senator's term.
Vacancies
| How Vacancies are filled in State Legislatures |
 |
If there is a vacancy in the Senate, the Governor is responsible for appointing a replacement. For all vacancies, the Governor must appoint a replacement within 60 days after the vacancy happened. The candidate is selected from a list of three prospective candidates submitted by the political party that last held the vacant seat. The party has thirty days after the vacancy to submit a list of prospective candidates. If the person leaving the seat is a independent, the Governor must select a resident from the vacant district that is not a member of any political party[6] [7].
Redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in Hawaii
Redistricting is handled by the nine-member Hawaii Reapportionment Commission.
2010 census
Hawaii received its local census data on February 22, 2011. Governor Neil Abercrombie suggested that a constitutional amendment be put on the ballot to return Hawaii to multi-member districts, which had not been used since 1981 following a court decision. Though the state Attorney General cleared the path without the need for an amendment, the Commission shot down the idea.[8][9]
After having its first set of maps struck down by the Hawaii Supreme Court due to the exclusion of some non-residents, the Commission approved the final set of maps on March 8, 2012. A federal lawsuit to these maps was cleared in April, but a federal panel refused to overturn the maps in May, clearing the way for the elections to continue as scheduled even as the court case had yet to be heard.[10][11]
Senators
Salaries
- See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
As of 2013, members of the Hawaii legislature are paid $46,272/year. Additionally, legislators receive $150/day for per diem for members living outside Oahu during session, and $120/day during the interim while conducting official legislative business. Members living inside Oahu receive $10/day during the interim while conducting legislative business.[12]
When sworn in
Hawaii legislators assume office the first day of Legislative session following the election (usually the third Wednesday of January).
Partisan composition
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
| Party | As of May 2013 | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 24 | |
| Republican Party | 1 | |
| Total | 25 | |
Leadership
The President and Vice President of the Senate are elected by a majority vote of the members of the Senate. The President serves as the presiding officer, whose duties include opening meetings, maintaining order in the Senate, appoint all members of committees, and establish final dates for action on legislation.[13]
The Vice President, along with the President, prepares and administers a budget for the Senate. In the absence of the President, the Vice President assumes all duties of the position.[14]
Current leadership
List of current senators
Senate Committees
The Hawaii Senate has 14 standing committees:
- Agriculture
- Commerce and Consumer Protection
- Economic Development, Government Operations and Housing
- Education
- Energy and Environment
- Health
- Higher Education
- Human Services
- Judiciary and Labor
- Public Safety, Intergovernmental and Military Affairs
- Technology and the Arts
- Tourism and Hawaiian Affairs
- Transportation and International Affairs
- Ways and Means
- Water and Land
External links
- Official website of the Hawaii State Senate
- List of Senate Committees
- Senate rules for the 2090-2010 senate
References
- ↑ Population in 2010 of the American states
- ↑ Population in 2000 of the American states
- ↑ Hawaii News Now, " Lawmakers set stage for legislative session," January 15, 2013
- ↑ Follow the Money, Hawaii
- ↑ Follow the Money: "Hawaii Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Hawaii Legislature "Hawaii Revised Statutes"(Referenced Statute 17-3(a) (1)-(2))
- ↑ Hawaii Legislature "Hawaii Revised Statutes"(Referenced Statute 17-4(a)-(b))
- ↑ Star-Advertiser, "Multimember districts being talked up again," May 13, 2011
- ↑ Star-Advertiser, "Road to reapportionment," May 22, 2011
- ↑ Civil Beat, "Hawaii Reapportionment Challenge Will Get Day in Court," April 10, 2012
- ↑ Honolulu Civil Beat, "Elections on Track as Court Rules Against Hawaii Redistricting Suit," May 22, 2012
- ↑ NCSL.org, "2012 State Legislator Compensation and Per Diem Table," accessed March 18, 2013
- ↑ Leadership of the Hawaii Senate
- ↑ 2009-2010 Rules of the Hawaii Senate
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