Senate Leadership Changes at Four Committees

The Senate Majority under the leadership of Senate President Colleen Hanabusa announced changes to several committees late last month. Chairpersons have been transferred from one committee to another in this latest re-organization. Senator Clayton Hee , who served as the chairman of the Senate Judiciary and Labor (JLA) Committee will now head the new committee on Water and Land. Senator Brian Taniguchi who was chair of the Commerce, Consumer Protection and Affordable Housing (CPH) committee will be the new Judiciary and Labor committee head. Senator Russell Kokubun, will take over as chair of the CPH committee. Senator Hee will chair the newly formed Water & Land Committee. A new committee on Hawaiian Affairs and Agriculture was spun off from the WLA Committee. Chairing the new committee will be Senator Jill Tokuda.

The committee changes will impact several members on those committees including myself, since I sit on both the CPH and Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee. Changes to the vice-chairs and membership have yet to be announced.