Republicans are wild cards in forming House coalitions

Part of the fallout from Hawaii’s Democratic landslide is dealing with the surplus of Democrats pacing the state Capitol halls.

According to state law, you are limited to 10 dogs or cats in your residence, but any amount of Democrats are permitted in the state House. Voters this month elected 44 and the first problem popping up is how to organize them.

For the past 13 years — a record, by the way — Palolo Democrat Calvin Say has been speaker of the House. He would like to continue, but is being challenged by Maui Democrat Joe Souki.

Instead of organizing the entire House, the Democrats have instead organized themselves neatly into two competing factions of 22. Rumors are swirling through the Capitol regarding each of the 44 members’ allegiance to such an extent that the only certainty is that one group is led by Say and the other is headed up by Souki.

All this is important because the winning speaker of the House will head the group that appoints committee chairmanships. Heading a committee is a big deal because legislation in a specific committee usually doesn’t move without the chairman or chairwoman’s blessing.

The complicating buzz this year is that if the seven Republicans linked up with either Souki or Say, the resulting coalition would solve the organizational problem.

It, of course, would also open up a whole new argument about why are we bothering to hold elections between Republicans and Democrats if they are just going to link up afterward.

Still, one dissident Democrat, speaking anonymously, said the Republicans are talking with Say’s group. That was partially noted by Democratic Party Chairman Dante Carpenter, who reports hearing the same rumor and is attempting to disabuse Democrats of any talk of coalitions.

"I have heard some of the whispering. The perception is that either side could be wooing a coalition," says Carpenter.

But Say reports there have been no discussions, although he acknowledges hearing the rumors.

"Right now it is all rumor. I have not talked to the Republicans," Say said.

Republicans are not giving any indication that they are looking for a coalition. Two years ago Hawaii Kai Republican Gene Ward offered Speaker Say the GOP in an attempt to speed up a House organization plan that would retain Say.

As it turned out, Say organized the House without the help of the GOP minority.

This year Ward has been replaced by Aaron Johanson (R, Fort Shafter-Moanalua Gardens-Aliamanu) as GOP leader.

There is a tortured history to this entire business of organizing the state Legislature. Say was picked as speaker when Souki, the former speaker, lost support— so at age 79, Souki is now attempting to wrestle the post back from the 60-year-old Say.

In 1981, in order to preserve his leadership, Senate President Richard Wong formed a coalition with Republicans that led to two GOP senators getting committee chairmanships. Wong also formed a bipartisan committee that handled how to move legislation.

That coalition at one time contained former state Sens. Carpenter, Neil Abercrombie and Ben Cayetano.

If coalitions make unwieldy government, the Hawaii Legislature also dealt with the problem of too many Democrats by giving each committee two chairpersons. Needless to say, this was not a scheme that had many supporters nor wishes for its return.

The only safe prediction today is that the next speaker of the House is likely to be decided in 2013 and not this year.

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Richard Borreca writes on politics on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays. Reach him at rborreca@staradvertiser.com.