A key issue for the 25-member Senate will be whether to allow Gov. Ben Cayetano to spend the $213 million surplus in the Hawai'i Hurricane Relief Fund. Cayetano said unless he is allowed to tap the fund to help balance the budget, he will be forced to impose deep cuts in the budgets for education and other state services. But lawmakers said many constituents are demanding that the state refund that money to the people who paid into the fund through their insurance premiums. The 22 Democrats and three Republicans in the Senate will have to make the call, and then sell their plan to the House.
Jan Buen (D)
District 4
Room 228
Phone: 586-7340
Fax: 586-7343 E-mail
Robert Bunda (D) President
District 22
Room 3
Phone: 586-6090
Fax: 586-6091 E-mail
Avery Chumbley (D)
District 6(A)
District 6(B)
Room 222
Phone: 586-6030
Fax: 586-6031 E-mail
Russell Kokobun (D)
District 3(A)
District 3(B)
Room 207
Phone: 586-6760
Fax: 586-6689 E-mail
Matt Matsunaga (D)
District 9(A)
District 9(B)
Room 203
Phone: 586-7100
Fax: 586-7109 E-mail
David Matsuura (D)
District 2(A)
District 2(B)
Room 226
Phone: 586-7788
Fax: 586-7792 E-mail
Ron Menor (D)
District 18(A)
District 18(B)
Room 219
Phone: 586-6740
Fax: 586-6829 E-mail
Bob Nakata (D)
District 23(A)
District 23(B)
Room 231
Phone: 586-7330
Fax: 586-7334 E-mail
Norman Sakamoto (D)
District 16(A)
District 16(B)
Room 213
Phone: 586-8585
Fax: 586-8588 E-mail
Sam Slom (R)
District 8
Room 221
Phone: 586-8420
Fax: 586-8426 E-mail
Rod Tam (D)
District 13(A)
District 13(B)
Room 220
Phone: 586-6450
Fax: 586-6451 E-mail
Brian Taniguchi (D)
District 11(A)
District 11(B)
Room 210
Phone: 586-6460
Fax: 586-6461 E-mail
All offices are located at Hawai'i State Capitol, 415 S. Beretania Street, Honolulu, HI 96813.
More information
The State Capitol Web site offers a variety of information including a legislative timetable and notices of when bills will be heard. Also available at the site are texts of bills and resolutions introduced in 2001, which are still active. Bills introduced this year will be added as they are filed. A legislative history of each measure also is available at the site along with records of what bills have been referred to each committee.
More information also is available at the Public Access Room in Room 401 of the State Capitol. Public Access Room staff have scheduled about a dozen workshops on the legislative process, citizen lobbying and other subjects for February and March. A workshop schedule will be available at the Access Room Web page. The Web site also features descriptions of how a bill becomes a law and links to other useful sites. After the session begins Wednesday, the Public Access Room will be open 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. The phone number is 587-0478.