Senate president’s ouster was really a ‘Kouchi Coup’

The Legislature adjourned, but its bouquet lingers as we flASHback on May’s news that amused and confused:

>> Ethics Commission chief Les Kondo’s job was in jeopardy after House Speaker Joe Souki griped about Kondo’s tough stand against legislators accepting free meals and gifts from lobbyists. At 82, Souki is too set in his ways to learn to feed himself.

>> The state Senate ended its session by ousting Sen. Donna Mercado Kim as president in favor of Sen. Ron Kouchi. I didn’t understand the shuffle until a reader explained it’s a new dance step called the “Kouchi Coup.”

>> Detractors complained Kim promoted too much openness and took too much interest in bills before committees. There’s little margin for error in our Legislature; do a couple of things right and out you go.

>> Sens. Laura Thielen, Russell Ruderman and Josh Green, who sank Gov. David Ige’s appointment of a development lobbyist to run state lands, lost their committee chairs in the shake-up. It was reminiscent of a tradition on the last day of high school: “Kill Haole Day.”

>> After eleventh-hour intrigue, the Legislature authorized 16 dispensaries for medical marijuana. The state expects a surge in pot prescriptions, mostly for voters sick of the drama.

>> Ige announced the state will no longer allow circuses and other entertainment involving wild animals. Exceptions will be made for zoos, aquariums and the annual session of the Legislature.

>> The Hawaii State Teachers Association rejected election results for top officers and ordered a redo, and some teachers alleged it’s because bosses didn’t like the outcome. Neil Abercrombie must be groaning, “D’oh, why didn’t I think of that?”

>> After heavy lobbying by the developer and unions, the City Council unanimously approved the 11,750-home Ho‘opili project on West Oahu farmlands, and Mayor Kirk Caldwell gave his blessing. Sustainable politics beats sustainable agriculture every time.

>> City Councilman Trevor Ozawa unveiled a bill to require diaper-changing stations in men’s restrooms. Finally, a problem our City Council is qualified to handle.

>> Projected yearly operating costs for Oahu rail soared 11 percent to $130 million, and the city says it’ll be two years before there’s a plan to pay for it. In other words, the plan is for Caldwell to get safely reelected and then beg the Legislature for another tax increase.

>> The University of Hawaii paid a psychologist $200 an hour to help new administrators prepare for their jobs. The way things are going at UH, the money would be better spent on an exorcist.

And the quote of the month … from state film Commissioner Donne Dawson in criticizing the film “Aloha,” starring Bradley Cooper: “The filmmakers should have asked permission to use a word that is sacred to us.” If she’s not vigilant, “aloha” might become as overused a word as “sacred.”

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.