The words “Colleen Hanabusa” appear in almost none of the coverage of this charade.  We’d just like to point that out.

KHON: "I cannot just trust that she will grow into this position. I cannot just trust that she will become a good leader and administrator," said Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D-Kapalua, Lahaina, Kihei).  (BTW: Sen Roz Baker showed who she CAN trust in an administrative position when she hired convicted child molester Leon Rouse as a committee aide in 2006.)

SA: "Sen. Clayton Hee, in opposition, raised concerns about whether Leonard would be open enough to Native Hawaiian rights. A court that strictly follows the rule of law may not have led to the recognition of customary Hawaiian rights, he said."

Vote Breakdown

NO

• Sen. Rosalyn Baker (D)
• Sen. Suzanne Chun Oakland (D)
• Sen. Carol Fukunaga (D)
• Sen. Colleen Hanabusa (D)
• Sen. Clayton Hee (D)
• Sen. David Ige (D)
• Sen. Les Ihara (D)
• Sen. Michelle Kidani (D)
• Sen. Donna Mercado Kim (D)
• Sen. Russell Kokubun (D)
• Sen. Clarence Nishihara (D)
• Sen. Dwight Takamine (D)
• Sen. Brian Taniguchi (D)
• Sen. Jill Tokuda (D)

YES

• Sen. Will Espero (D)
• Sen. Mike Gabbard (D)
• Sen. Brickwood Galuteria (D)
• Sen. Josh Green (D)
• Sen. Fred Hemmings (R)
• Sen. Norman Sakamoto (D)
• Sen. Sam Slom (R)
• Sen. Shan Tsutsui (D)

The governor has ten days to submit a new nominee from the remaining five that were handed to her by the judicial selection committee. Then the 30 day clock starts ticking again for senators to hold a confirmation vote. 

VIDEO: Rep. Kym Pine (R-Ewa)

From Tracy Nakano Bean www.beanhawaii.com  (Opponent of Tokuda)

Hawai`i Senate’s Failure to confirm Katherine Leonard is a missed opportunity, politics as usual

KANE`OHE (August 6, 2010) – Following the Senate‟s vote of 14-8 against Governor Linda Lingle‟s appointment of appeals judge Katherine Leonard to be the next chief justice of the Hawai`i Supreme Court, Tracy Nakano Bean issued the following statement:

“I am extremely disappointed that not only did the Senate fail to confirm Katherine Leonard‟s appointment as chief justice, but that Senate District 24‟s present incumbent, Senator Tokuda was one of 14 who voted against the opportunity to see an experienced and extremely talented woman preside over our highest court. Had Leonard been confirmed, she would have been the first ever female chief justice in Hawai`i.

“Leonard, who received her law degree from UH‟s William S. Richardson School of Law, served honorably in the court of appeals and before that practiced complex commercial, financial, real estate, environmental, trust and business law litigation and dispute resolution at Carlsmith Ball LLP since 1992 and represents one of our own and the very best our islands have to offer the public. By contrast, Elena Kagan, who was recently confirmed by the U.S. Senate as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, spent most of her time not in a courtroom but in policymaking.

“What Senator Tokuda and her colleagues who voted against Leonard have missed is a rare opportunity to show Hawai`i that minorities and women can play a critical role in determining the future of our state. This vote is nothing less than a re-paining of a thick layer of glass that many women – myself included – believed to have been broken in our Aloha State.

“This inconsistency in claiming to represent progress but voting for punitive actions against a highly qualified woman simply because a Republican governor nominated her is nothing short of politics as usual. I know that in November the people of not only Senate District 24 but all of Hawai`i will cast their votes as a referendum about how they feel about the 'experience' that their own state senators have shown them.”

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