The Twenty Ninth Hawaii State Legislature is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the State of Hawaii, composed of the Hawaii House of Representatives and the Hawaii Senate. It met in Honolulu from November 10, 2016, to November 6, 2018, during the final two years of David Ige's first term as governor. The 2016 elections gave Democrats an even larger majority in both legislative bodies, with the losses of one Republican representative and lone Republican senator Sam Slom.
On March 22, 2017, former House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto announced she would leave the Republican Party and seek membership in the Democratic Party. This lowered Republican membership in the Hawaii House of Representatives to 5 against 45 Democrats.
Major Events
January 18, 2017: Opening Day of the 2017 Legislative Session
February 2, 2017: House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto was ousted over her criticisms of President Donald Trump. She was replaced by Minority Floor Leader Andria Tupola of Nanakuli. March 22, 2017: Republican Representative and former House Minority Leader Beth Fukumoto announced her resignation from the Republican Party and her intention to seek membership with the Democratic Party. May 3, 2017: A bill to fund Honolulu's rail transit system failed when the Senate and House of Representatives could not reach an agreement after 11 hours. Governor David Ige announced he would not extend the legislative session unless the two houses came to a consensus despite the requests of all four Hawaii mayors. May 4, 2017: Senator Jill Tokuda was removed from the Senate Ways and Means Committee for her role in killing the rail funding bill. House Speaker Joseph M. Souki resigned from his post and was replaced by House Majority Leader Scott Saiki. This was also the final day of the 2017 Legislative Session.
Major Legislation
Enacted
Proposed
May 2, 2017: SB562: Requires the Attorney General to defend any civil action against the county based on negligence, wrongful act, or omission of a county lifeguard for services at a designated state beach park. May 3, 2017: HB100: State Budget for fiscal years 2018-2019 May 3, 2017: HB115: Requires all counties with populations over 500,000 to take ownership and jurisdiction over all "disputed roads" under certain circumstances May 3, 2017: HB335: Office of Hawaiian Affairs budget for fiscal years 2018–2019. May 3, 2017: HB451: Reduces the minimum Hawaiian blood quantum requirement of certain successors to lessees of Hawaiian home lands from one-quarter to one thirty-second. May 3, 2017: HB1098: Requires emergency shelters to have partitioned space for homeless persons or families.
Vetoed
Party Summary
Senate
House of Representatives
Leadership
Senate
President: Ron Kouchi (D) Vice President: Michelle Kidani (D)
Majority (Democratic) Leadership
Majority Leader: J. Kalani English
Majority Caucus Leader: Brickwood Galuteria
Majority Floor Leader: Will Espero
Majority Whip: Donovan Dela Cruz
Assistant Majority Whip: Brian Taniguchi
House of Representatives
Speaker: Joseph M. Souki (D), until May 4, 2017
Scott Saiki (D), from May 4, 2017
Speaker Emeritus: Calvin Say (D) Speaker Emeritus: Joseph M. Souki (D), from May 4, 2017 Vice Speaker: John Mizuno (D)
Majority (Democratic) Leadership
Majority Leader: Scott Saiki, until May 4, 2017
Majority Floor Leader: Cindy Evans
Majority Policy Leader: Marcus Oshiro
Majority Whip: Kent Ito
Assistant Majority Leaders: Chris Lee, Dee Morikawa, and Roy Takumi
Minority (Republican) Leadership
Minority Leader: Beth Fukumoto, until February 2, 2017
Andria Tupola, from February 2, 2017
Minority Leader Emeritus: Gene Ward
Assistant Minority Leader: Bob McDermott
Minority Floor Leader: Andria Tupola, until February 2, 2017
Gene Ward, from February 2, 2017
Assistant Minority Floor Leader: Cynthia Thielen
Minority Whip: Lauren Matsumoto
Members
Senate
Hawaii
Kaiali‘i Kahele (D-1) Russell Ruderman (D-2) Josh Green (D-3) Lorraine Inouye (D-4) Rosalyn Baker (D-6)
Maui, Molokai, and Lanai
Gilbert Keith-Agaran (D-5) J. Kalani English (D-7)
Kauai and Niihau
Ron Kouchi (D-8)