Hawaii State Senate

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Hawaii State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Democrat
Session start:   January 17, 2024
Session end:   May 2, 2024
Term length:   2-4-4 year system
Term limits:   None
Redistricting:  Commission
Salary:   $60,180/year + per diem
Members
Total:  25
Democrats:  23
Republicans:  2
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:   Ronald Kouchi (D)
Maj. Leader:   Dru Kanuha (D)
Min. Leader:   Kurt Fevella (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Next election:  November 5, 2024

The Hawaii State Senate is the upper chamber of the Hawaii State Legislature. Alongside the Hawaii House of Representatives, it forms the legislative branch of the Hawaii state government and works alongside the governor of Hawaii to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the Hawaii State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The Hawaii State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Honolulu, Hawaii.

  • All 25 seats in the Hawaii State Senate were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Democratic majority decreased from 24-1 to 23-2.
  • Hawaii has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

  • This page contains the following information on the Hawaii State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the Hawaii State Senate as of January 2024:

    Party As of January 2024
         Democratic Party 23
         Republican Party 2
         Other 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 25

    Members

    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, appointing all members of committees, and establishing final dates for action on legislation.

    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.[1]

    Leadership and members


    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    Hawaii State Senate District 1 Lorraine Inouye Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 2 Joy San Buenaventura Democratic November 3, 2020
    Hawaii State Senate District 3 Dru Kanuha Democratic November 6, 2018
    Hawaii State Senate District 4 Tim Richards Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 5 Troy Hashimoto Democratic November 9, 2023
    Hawaii State Senate District 6 Angus McKelvey Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 7 Lynn DeCoite Democratic June 17, 2021
    Hawaii State Senate District 8 Ronald Kouchi Democratic November 6, 2012
    Hawaii State Senate District 9 Stanley Chang Democratic November 8, 2016
    Hawaii State Senate District 10 Les Ihara Jr. Democratic November 6, 2012
    Hawaii State Senate District 11 Carol Fukunaga Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 12 Sharon Moriwaki Democratic November 6, 2018
    Hawaii State Senate District 13 Karl Rhoads Democratic November 8, 2016
    Hawaii State Senate District 14 Donna Kim Democratic 2002
    Hawaii State Senate District 15 Glenn Wakai Democratic November 2, 2010
    Hawaii State Senate District 16 Brandon Elefante Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 17 Donovan Dela Cruz Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 18 Michelle Kidani Democratic November 6, 2012
    Hawaii State Senate District 19 Henry Aquino Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 20 Kurt Fevella Republican November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 21 Mike Gabbard Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 22 Maile Shimabukuro Democratic November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 23 Brenton Awa Republican November 8, 2022
    Hawaii State Senate District 24 Jarrett Keohokalole Democratic November 6, 2018
    Hawaii State Senate District 25 Chris Lee Democratic November 3, 2020


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2023
    SalaryPer diem
    $72,348/yearFor legislators who do not reside on Oahu: $225/day.

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    Hawaii legislators assume office on the day they are elected in the general election.[2]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    From Article III, Section 6 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."[3]

    Historical party control

    Democrats won control of the Hawaii State Senate in 1962. In 2022, they won a 23-2 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the Hawaii Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2022. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    Hawaii State Senate election results: 1992-2022

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22
    Democrats 22 23 23 23 22 20 20 20 23 24 24 24 25 24 24 23
    Republicans 3 2 2 2 3 5 5 5 2 1 1 1 0 1 1 2

    Before 1992

    Republicans controlled the Hawaii Senate from 1959 to 1962, the year Democrats gained control of the chamber.


    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, Hawaii was under the following types of trifecta control:

    • Democratic trifecta: 1992-2002, 2011-2023
    • Republican trifecta: None
    • Divided government: 2003-2010

    Hawaii Party Control: 1992-2024
    Twenty-five years of Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    House D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D

    Elections

    Elections by year

    Hawaii state senators serve 2-4-4 terms, where senators serve one two-year term and two four-year terms each decade. Hawaii holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2024

    See also: Hawaii State Senate elections, 2024

    Elections for the Hawaii State Senate will take place in 2024. The general election is on November 5, 2024. A primary is August 10, 2024. The filing deadline is June 4, 2024.

    2022

    See also: Hawaii State Senate elections, 2022

    Elections for the Hawaii State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for August 13, 2022. The filing deadline was June 7, 2022.

    In the 2022 elections, the Democratic majority in the Hawaii State Senate was reduced from 24-1 to 23-2.

    Hawaii State Senate
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 24 23
         Republican Party 1 2
    Total 25 25

    2020

    See also: Hawaii State Senate elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of Hawaii State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for August 8, 2020. The filing deadline was June 2, 2020.

    In the 2020 elections, Democrats maintained their 24-1 majority in the Hawaii State Senate.

    Hawaii State Senate
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 24 24
         Republican Party 1 1
    Total 25 25

    2018

    See also: Hawaii State Senate elections, 2018

    Elections for the Hawaii State Senate took place in 2018. An open primary election took place on August 11, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was June 5, 2018.[4]

    In the 2018 elections, the Democratic majority in the Hawaii State Senate was reduced from 25-0 to 24-1.

    Hawaii State Senate
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 25 24
         Republican Party 0 1
    Total 25 25

    2016

    See also: Hawaii State Senate elections, 2016

    Elections for the Hawaii State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election took place on August 13, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was June 7, 2016. A total of 14 seats out of the 25 seats in the Hawaii State Senate were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Democrats held a 24-1 majority. Democrats ousted the lone Republican incumbent, resulting in a chamber represented entirely by Democrats.

    Hawaii State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 24 25
         Republican Party 1 0
    Total 25 25

    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the Hawaii State Legislature for a term that ends at the next general election, the governor is responsible for appointing a replacement. The governor must appoint a replacement within 60 days after the vacancy happens. 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 an independent (no party affiliation), the governor must select a resident from the vacant district that is not a member of any political party.[12][13]

    In the event of a vacancy for a term that does not end at the next general election, the vacancy shall be filled by a special election at the next general election. The chief election officer shall issue a proclamation of the special election. The governor shall temporarily appoint someone to the seat pending the special election. The appointee will be selected from a list of three prospective candidates submitted by the political party that last held the vacant seat.[12]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: Hawaii Const. Art. 3, Sec. 5, Hawaii Rev. Stat., §17-3, and Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 17-4

    District map

    See also: Hawaii state legislative districts

    The state of Hawaii has 25 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.

    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in Hawaii

    In Hawaii, a nine-member commission draws both congressional and state legislative district lines. The majority and minority leaders of the Hawaii State Senate and Hawaii House of Representatives each select two members. These eight members then select a ninth tie-breaking commissioner. If the commission is unable to reach an agreement on a ninth member, the Hawaii Supreme Court must make the appointment.[14]

    Both congressional and state legislative district boundaries must be contiguous and compact. In addition, where possible, district lines "must follow permanent and easily recognized features ... and coincide with census tracts." In addition, "districts must also avoid submerging one area in another with substantially different predominant socioeconomic interests." No district can be drawn "to unduly favor a person or political faction."[14]

    State law permits state legislative districts to be multimember, but a maximum of four representatives can be elected from a single district.[14]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in Hawaii after the 2020 census


    The Hawaii Reapportionment Commission approved new legislative district maps on January 28, 2022.[15] The commission's Technical Committee Permitted Interaction Group initially presented the state legislative map plans to the commission for consideration on October 14, 2021. The map plans were approved for public comment on October 28.[16] On January 6, the commission approved a motion to modify the legislative map plans after learning the initial plans had not properly accounted for the number of nonpermanent resident personnel on military installations in the state, who are not included in legislative redistricting. Under the modified proposal, one legislative district would be moved from Oahu to Hawaii.[17][18] This map took effect for Hawaii's 2022 state legislative elections.

    District map after 2020 redistricting

    This map took effect for Hawaii's 2022 legislative elections.

    • Hawaii
      • Hawaii Senate Final.jpg
    • Maui
      • Maui Senate Final.jpg
    • Kauai
      • Kauai Senate Final.jpg
    • Oahu
      • Oahu Senate Final.jpg

    2010

    See also: Redistricting in Hawaii after the 2010 census

    Hawaii received its local census data on February 22, 2011, and on June 28, 2011, the Hawaii Reapportionment Commission voted 8-1 to include non-resident students and military personnel in redistricting calculations. The Commission released its redistricting plans on August 3, 2011. On September 19, 2011, the Commission voted to exclude about 16,000 military and non-residents in the state from reapportionment calculations, partially reversing their earlier decision. On September 26, 2011, the Commission gave final approval to the state's redistricting plan. The Hawaii Supreme Court, however, ruled on January 4, 2012, that non-residents could not be considered in reapportionment and ordered the Reapportionment Commission to redraw the maps. On March 8, 2012, the Commission approved new legislative districts for the state.[19][20]

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the Hawaii State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in Hawaii by year

    2024

    See also: 2024 Hawaii legislative session and Dates of 2024 state legislative sessions

    In 2024, the legislature is scheduled to convene on January 17, 2024, and adjourn on May 2, 2024.

    2023

    See also: 2023 Hawaii legislative session and Dates of 2023 state legislative sessions

    In 2023, the legislature was scheduled to convene on January 18, 2023, and adjourn on May 4, 2023.



    About legislative sessions in Hawaii

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[28] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    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.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-Democratic Party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in Hawaii are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 34 of the 51 members in the Hawaii House of Representatives and 17 of the 25 members in the Hawaii State Senate. Hawaii is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    How can vetoes be overridden after the legislature has adjourned?

    According to Article III, Section 16 of the Hawaii Constitution, the legislature may convene itself in special session at the end of the governor's bill signing period to consider veto overrides. Two-thirds of members in both chambers must agree to call for a special session.[29]

    Authority: Article III, Section 17 of the Hawaii Constitution.

    "Upon the receipt of a veto message from the governor, each house shall enter the same at large upon its journal and proceed to reconsider the vetoed bill, or the item or items vetoed, and again vote upon such bill, or such item or items, by ayes and noes, which shall be entered upon its journal. If after such reconsideration such bill, or such item or items, shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of all members to which each house is entitled, the same shall become law."

    Role in state budget

    See also: Hawaii state budget and finances
    Hawaii on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    Hawaii operates on a biennial budget cycle, with each biennium beginning in July. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[30]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies between July and August of the year preceding the start of the new biennium.
    2. State agencies submit their budget requests to the governor by September.
    3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in December.
    4. In April or May, the legislature adopts the budget. A simple majority is required to pass a budget.

    Hawaii is one of 43 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[30]

    The governor is statutorily and constitutionally required to submit a balanced budget to the legislature. Though the legislature is not required to pass a balanced budget, the budget must be balanced for the governor to sign it into law.[30]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in Hawaii state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The Hawaii State Senate has 16 standing committees:


    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods in which the Hawaii Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article XVII of the Hawaii Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in Hawaii

    The Hawaii Constitution provides two mechanisms for amending the state's constitution— a legislative process and a state constitutional convention. Hawaii requires a simple majority vote (50% plus 1) for voters to approve constitutional amendments.

    Legislature

    See also: Legislatively referred constitutional amendment

    A two-thirds (66.67%) vote vote is required during one legislative session or a simple majority vote in two successive legislative sessions for the Hawaii State Legislature to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. That amounts to a minimum of 35 votes in the Hawaii House of Representatives and 17 votes in the Hawaii State Senate, assuming no vacancies. Amendments do not require the governor's signature to be referred to the ballot.

    Convention

    See also: Convention-referred constitutional amendment

    According to Section 2 of Article XVII of the Hawaii Constitution, a question about whether to hold a state constitutional convention is to automatically appear on the state's ballot after a period of nine years. Hawaii is one of 14 states that provides for an automatic constitutional convention question.

    The table below shows the last and next constitutional convention question election years:

    State Interval Last question on the ballot Next question on the ballot
    Hawaii 10 years 2018 2028



    2025 measures:

    See also: 2025 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2025.

    No measures to list

    2024 measures:

    Below is a list of measures that were referred to the 2024 ballot by the legislature or that have made it approximately halfway through the process in the legislature for referral to the ballot in 2024.

    See also: Hawaii 2024 ballot measures

    Certified:

    The following measures have been certified for the ballot.

    No measures to list


    Potential:

    The following measures have made it through one chamber—or one session for two session states—and may appear on the ballot in 2024.

    No measures to list

    See also

    Elections Hawaii State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    Hawaii State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. Legislative Reference Bureau, "Article III," accessed February 12, 2021
    2. Legislative Reference Bureau, "Hawaii Constitution, Article III, Section 4," accessed November 1, 2021
    3. LRB Legislative Reference Bureau, "The Constitution of the State of Hawaii," accessed February 10, 2023
    4. Hawaii Office of Elections, "Calendar," accessed August 2, 2017
    5. Follow the Money, Hawaii
    6. Follow the Money: "Hawaii Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
    7. Follow the Money, "Hawaii 2008 Candidates," accessed July 17, 2013
    8. Follow the Money, "Hawaii 2006 Candidates," accessed July 17, 2013
    9. Follow the Money, "Hawaii 2004 Candidates," accessed July 17, 2013
    10. Follow the Money, "Hawaii 2002 Candidates," accessed July 17, 2013
    11. Follow the Money, "Hawaii 2000 Candidates," accessed July 17, 2013
    12. 12.0 12.1 Hawaii Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes," accessed May 22, 2014 (Statute 17-3(a) (1)-(2))
    13. Hawaii Legislature, "Hawaii Revised Statutes," accessed May 22, 2014 (Statute 17-4(a)-(b))
    14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 All About Redistricting, "Hawaii," accessed April 29, 2015
    15. State of Hawaii, "Regular Meeting of the Reapportionment Commission - January 28, 2022," accessed February 4, 2022
    16. Patch.com, "The Plan To Redraw Hawaii's Political Lines Goes Out For Public Comment," Oct. 29, 2021
    17. Honolulu Civil Beat, "The Big Island Is Set To Gain A House Seat As Reapportionment Restarts," Jan. 6, 2021
    18. Office of Elections, "Reapportionment Commission," accessed Oct. 20, 2021
    19. Civil Beat, "Hawaii Reapportionment Challenge Will Get Day in Court," April 10, 2012
    20. Honolulu Civil Beat, "Elections on Track as Court Rules Against Hawaii Redistricting Suit," May 22, 2012
    21. Hawaii State Legislature, "SCR242," accessed March 18, 2020
    22. Hawaii State Legislature, "Recent updates," accessed May 11, 2020
    23. KHON, "Lawmakers eye taxes, medical marijuana for next legislative session," January 19, 2015
    24. civilbeat.com, "Legislative Preview 2014: Will Lawmakers Play It Safe in an Election Year?" January 14, 2014
    25. hawaii247.comm "Legislature passes state 2014-2015 budget," April 29, 2014
    26. Hawaii News Now, " Lawmakers set stage for legislative session," January 15, 2013
    27. Hawaii Reporter, "Hawaii State Senate Majority Caucus Sets its Priorities for the 2012 Legislative Session," January 17, 2012
    28. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    29. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Special Sessions," May 6, 2009
    30. 30.0 30.1 30.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023