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Posted at 3:42 p.m., Friday, April 22, 2005

CORRECTION: Posted at 9:14 a.m., Monday, April 25, 2005
This story should also have mentioned that the University of Hawai'i regents later rescinded the firing of former President Evan Dobelle as part of a cash settlement under which Dobelle resigned and continued in a faculty position.

UH regents' selection likely to go on ballot

Associated Press

Hawai'i voters likely will have at least one proposed constitutional amendment on their ballots in the 2006 general election, one that would change the selection process for the University of Hawa'ii Board of Regents.

At the Legislature, Republicans are calling it another attempt to strip the authority of Gov. Linda Lingle.

The Senate is scheduled to take a final vote on the proposal on Monday. The House has already passed the bill.

Today was the deadline for informing the governor of any proposed constitutional amendments that are not subject to gubernatorial veto. The regents issue was the only amendment to be approved this year. Other amendments could be proposed in next year's legislative session.

The amendment would require the governor to select regents from a list provided by a candidate advisory council that would screen and nominate potential candidates. The regents currently are appointed by the governor, subject to confirmation by the state Senate.

Differences between the Senate and House in a companion bill to create the advisory council and spell out its membership will be worked out in a conference committee.

The present system of direct nomination by the governor "has the potential for being overly political and thus interfering with the desire of the Legislature to increase the autonomy of the University of Hawai'i system," according to a report by the Senate Higher Education Committee.

Modifying the selection process "will increase the regents' autonomy, modernize the university's governance, and strengthen the selection process by providing an independent screening body to identify outstanding candidates," the report said.

Eight of the 10 Republicans and Democrat Josh Green of Kailua-Kona voted against the bill when it passed the House on April 12. The only Republicans who voted in favor of the change were Kymberly Pine of 'Ewa Beach and William Stonebraker of Hawaii Kai.

"It will handcuff this governor, put a stranglehold on her, and strip her of all the powers the people elected her to do when they sent her here," Rep. Mark Moses, R-40th (Makakilo-Kapolei), said during the floor debate.

Selection of regents has been a contentious issue between the Republican governor and the Democrat-controlled Legislature.

The Senate last week for the third time rejected a Lingle nominee to the Board of Regents. The latest to be rejected, in a 15-10 vote, was Big Island businessman John K. Kai.

When the regents fired President Evan Dobelle last year, some Democrats said the action was political because Dobelle had endorsed Democrat Mazie Hirono in the 2002 gubernatorial election. However, the action by the nine-member board was unanimous and included the four regents appointed by former Gov. Ben Cayetano, a Democrat.