Hawai‘i House Leadership, Committee Assignments Announced

File image of House floor. PC: Hawaiʻi House Democrats.

House Speaker Scott K. Saiki today announced the House Leadership and committee assignments for the Thirtieth Legislature (2019-2020).

“Our members are looking forward to the upcoming session and are focused on tackling some of the biggest challenges facing our state,” said Speaker Saiki. “We have worked hard to establish a leadership team and standing committee assignments that will help facilitate the legislative process and take full advantage of the wealth of knowledge and expertise that each member of the House offers.”

Maui’s Justin Woodson of Kahului secured a leadership role as one of nine Majority Whips.  He will also serve as the chair of the newly consolidated Lower and Higher Education Committee.

Fellow Maui Representative Angus McKelvey of West Maui will chair the Economic Development and Business Committee.  Others from Maui secured vice-chairmanships including: Tina Wildberger who will serve as vice chair of the Energy & Environmental Protection committee; Lynn DeCoite who will vice chair the Agriculture committee; and Troy Hashimoto who will vice chair the Transportation committee.

Several changes have been made to House committees as follows:

• Education and Higher Education have been consolidated into one committee (Lower & Higher Education);
• Ocean, Marine Resources, & Hawaiian Affairs has been consolidated into Water & Land (Water, Land, & Hawaiian Affairs);
• Veterans, Military, & International Affairs, & Culture and the Arts has been folded into two separate committees (Public Safety, Veterans, & Military Affairs and Tourism & International Affairs); and
• Health & Human Services has been split into separate committees, with Human Services also incorporating homelessness issues (Human Services & Homelessness).

LEADERSHIP AND COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS 2019-2020

SPEAKER Scott K. Saiki
VICE SPEAKER Mark M. Nakashima
MAJORITY LEADER Della Au Belatti
MAJORITY FLOOR LEADER Dee Morikawa
ASSISTANT MAJORITY LEADER Tom Brower
MAJORITY WHIPS: Henry J.C. Aquino, Aaron Ling Johanson, Bertrand Kobayashi, Chris Lee, Nicole E. Lowen, Nadine K. Nakamura, Takashi Ohno, Joy A. San Buenaventura and Justin H. Woodson
MINORITY LEADER Gene Ward
MINORITY FLOOR LEADER Lauren Matsumoto
ASSISTANT MINORITY LEADER Bob McDermott
ASSISTANT MINORITY FLOOR LEADER Cynthia Thielen
MINORITY WHIP Val Okimoto

FINANCE (FIN)
Sylvia Luke, Chair
Ty J.K. Cullen, Vice Chair
Stacelynn K.M. Eli
Cedric Asuega Gates
Troy N. Hashimoto
Daniel Holt
Lisa Kitagawa
Bertrand Kobayashi
Scot Z. Matayoshi
Nadine K. Nakamura
Scott Y. Nishimoto
Chris Todd
Tina Wildberger
Kyle T. Yamashita
Bob McDermott

JUDICIARY (JUD)
Chris Lee, Chair
Joy A. San Buenaventura, Vice Chair
Tom Brower
Richard P. Creagan
Nicole E. Lowen
Angus L.K. McKelvey
Dee Morikawa
Calvin K.Y. Say
Gregg Takayama
Ryan I. Yamane
Cynthia Thielen

CONSUMER PROTECTION & COMMERCE (CPC)
Roy M. Takumi, Chair
Linda Ichiyama, Vice Chair
Henry J.C. Aquino
Della Au Belatti
Rida Cabanilla Arakawa
Romy M. Cachola
Sharon E. Har
Sam Satoru Kong
John M. Mizuno
Richard H.K. Onishi
Lauren Matsumoto

LOWER & HIGHER EDUCATION (LHE)
Justin H. Woodson, Chair
Mark J. Hashem, Vice Chair (Lower Education)
Amy A. Perruso, Vice Chair (Higher Education)
Lynn DeCoite
Aaron Ling Johanson
Dale T. Kobayashi
Takashi Ohno
Sean Quinlan
David A. Tarnas
James Kunane Tokioka
Val Okimoto

LEGISLATIVE MANAGEMENT (LMG)
Ty J.K. Cullen, Chair
Mark M. Nakashima, Vice Chair
Della Au Belatti
Dee Morikawa
Gene Ward

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION (EEP)
Nicole E. Lowen, Chair
Tina Wildberger, Vice Chair
Sharon E. Har
David A. Tarnas
Chris Todd
Ryan I. Yamane
Cynthia Thielen

WATER, LAND, & HAWAIIAN AFFAIRS (WLH)
Ryan I. Yamane, Chair
Chris Todd, Vice Chair
Sharon E. Har
Nicole E. Lowen
David A. Tarnas
Tina Wildberger
Cynthia Thielen

TOURISM & INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS (TIA)
Richard H.K. Onishi, Chair
Daniel Holt, Vice Chair
Rida Cabanilla Arakawa
Romy M. Cachola
Richard P. Creagan
Lynn DeCoite
Amy A. Perruso
Val Okimoto

AGRICULTURE (AGR)
Richard P. Creagan, Chair
Lynn DeCoite, Vice Chair
Rida Cabanilla Arakawa
Romy M. Cachola
Daniel Holt
Richard H.K. Onishi
Amy A. Perruso
Val Okimoto

HOUSING (HSG)
Tom Brower, Chair
Scot Z. Matayoshi, Vice Chair
Henry J.C. Aquino
Ty J.K. Cullen
Mark J. Hashem
Troy N. Hashimoto
Justin H. Woodson
Bob McDermott

TRANSPORTATION (TRN)
Henry J.C. Aquino, Chair
Troy N. Hashimoto, Vice Chair
Tom Brower
Ty J.K. Cullen
Mark J. Hashem
Scot Z. Matayoshi
Justin H. Woodson
Bob McDermott

PUBLIC SAFETY, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS (PVM)
Gregg Takayama, Chair
Cedric Asuega Gates, Vice Chair
Dale T. Kobayashi
Sam Satoru Kong
Scott Y. Nishimoto
Takashi Ohno
Bob McDermott

INTRASTATE COMMERCE (IAC)
Takashi Ohno, Chair
Dale T. Kobayashi, Vice Chair
Cedric Asuega Gates
Sam Satoru Kong
Scott Y. Nishimoto
Gregg Takayama
Bob McDermott

HEALTH (HLT)
John M. Mizuno, Chair
Bertrand Kobayashi, Vice Chair
Della Au Belatti
Nadine K. Nakamura
Joy A. San Buenaventura
Calvin K.Y. Say
James Kunane Tokioka
Gene Ward

HUMAN SERVICES & HOMELESSNESS (HSH)
Joy A. San Buenaventura, Chair
Nadine K. Nakamura, Vice Chair
Della Au Belatti
Bertrand Kobayashi
John M. Mizuno
Calvin K. Y. Say
James Kunane Tokioka
Gene Ward

LABOR & PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT (LAB)
Aaron Ling Johanson, Chair
Stacelynn K.M. Eli, Vice Chair
Linda Ichiyama
Lisa Kitagawa
Angus L.K. McKelvey
Sean Quinlan
Kyle T. Yamashita
Lauren Matsumoto

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & BUSINESS (EDB)
Angus L.K. McKelvey, Chair
Lisa Kitagawa, Vice Chair
Stacelynn K.M. Eli
Linda Ichiyama
Aaron Ling Johanson
Sean Quinlan
Kyle T. Yamashita
Lauren Matsumoto