Rep. Yamashita removed as House Finance chairman

Without explanation, Upcountry Rep. Kyle Yamashita has been stripped of his powerful position as House Finance Committee chairman.

A May 6 memorandum from House Speaker Nadine Nakamura informs all House members that Rep. Chris Todd has been appointed as Finance Committee chair, replacing Yamashita effective today, May 7.

The memorandum has no further explanation, although it says representatives can call Nakamura’s office if they have any questions.

In response to a Maui Now request for comment, Speaker Nadine Nakamura said via email:

“Leadership transitions are a part of any organization’s growth. The House has decided to move in a new direction and appreciates Representative Chris Todd’s readiness to lead the Committee on Finance. 

“We sincerely thank Representative Kyle Yamashita for his dedicated and trusted public service as Chair of the House Committee on Finance. We value his experience and contributions to the Legislature and are confident that he will continue to serve his Upcountry Maui community with the same thoughtfulness and commitment.

“The House remains focused on continuing its productive work throughout the interim.”

Maui Now reached out to Yamashita, but there was no immediate comment.

“Many of us are shocked,” said Rep. Justin Woodson, who represents Kahului, Puʻunēnē and a portion of Wailuku. “I refer to him as ‘Kyle’ as a term of endearment. He’s been a fierce public servant for many years for the whole state, but particularly for Maui County.”

When asked why Yamashita was removed as Finance Committee chair, Woodson said there’s rumors, but “I haven’t been able to substantiate them with leadership.”

He said he preferred not to repeat what he heard because it “would be more appropriate to make sure I’m not throwing things out in the air that may or may not be true.”

And, what about the impact on Maui County? “It’s not going to be good for us,” Woodson said. “We need to get past the shock and figure out how to move forward.”

The loss of Yamashita as Finance Committee chairman follows the departure from the House and later the Senate of former Maui legislator Gil Keith-Agaran, he pointed out.

“We (the Maui House delegation) are in a much weaker position than at any time in recent history,” Woodson said.

However, Woodson said he has a “great relationship” with Todd, who is “well liked.”

Still, it’s going to take anyone time to get a full grasp of the state’s complex budgetary processes, he said.

Central Maui Rep. Tyson Miyake, a member of the House Finance Committee, said: “Representative Yamashita has long been a strong advocate for Upcountry and Maui County, and his experience and institutional knowledge have been valuable in navigating the state budget process. I thank him for his guidance and leadership in this important role.”

“My priority moving forward remains the same — to work collaboratively with my colleagues to ensure my district’s needs are heard and addressed. I’m committed to advocating for my constituents and securing the resources our communities need,” Miyake said. 

“Wow!” said West Maui Rep. Elle Cochran this morning. She said Yamashita has been mostly uncommunicative with her, aside from an initial pro forma meeting when she was a freshman lawmaker.

Cochran said Yamashita’s office is near hers at the state Capitol, and the door is usually closed. She found it remarkable that a group of midwives would sit outside Yamashita’s office, on the floor in the hallway, seeking a meeting with him, but never getting one—at least as far as she could tell.

Yamashita’s Upcountry district has benefited from his leadership positions on the House Finance Committee, with Upcountry schools getting tens of millions in capital improvement project funding, Cochran said.

For example, the state released nearly $26 million for a new King Kekaulike High School auditorium in March 2014, and then Sen. J. Kalani English credited both himself and Yamashita for securing funding for that project.

Cochran said she has found Todd to be more open and easier to work with than Yamashita.

She said there had been ongoing complaints about non-fiscal bills being referred to the House and Senate Ways and committees where they died. Woodson said he doesn’t share this sentiment because the “overwhelming majority” of bills referred to money committees have a fiscal impact on the state, even if they are not necessarily appropriation measures.

Common Cause Hawaii State Director Camron Hurt said: “Every elected leader has a responsibility to listen and engage with their constituents. We welcome the Speaker’s action and leadership in this change. We congratulate Rep. Chris Todd on his appointment, and we look forward to working with him on behalf of all kamaʻāina.”

This morning, the House Finance Committee’s website was updated to show Todd as chairman.

According to his official website, Todd is in his fourth term representing House District 3. That Big Island district includes a portion of Hilo, Keaukaha, Orchidlands Estate, ʻĀinaloa, Hawaiian Acres, Fern Acres, portions of Kurtistown and Keaʻau. Todd was born and raised in Hilo. He’s a graduate of the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics and political science.

Before being appointed as a legislator in January 2017, Todd worked at Suisan Fish Market and Hawaiʻi Paper Products. Former Gov. David Ige appointed Todd to fill the vacancy left by the death of the late Representative Clift Tsuji. 

Gov. Josh Green is in California to attend the annual Milken Institute Global Conference. So there was no immediate comment from the Office of the Governor. He is scheduled to return to Hawaiʻi on Thursday.

Lt. Gov. Sylvia Luke, who formerly served as House Finance chair, is acting governor until Green returns.

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional comments.