House Dems to try settling leadership tiff

State House Democrats will meet in private caucus Wednesday afternoon to try to end a leadership dispute that has delayed preparations for the upcoming session.

Rep. Joseph Souki, who says he has the votes to become House speaker, called for the caucus so Demo­crats can discuss leadership, chamber seating arrangements and committee and office assignments. The session opens next week.

Souki (D, Wai­hee-Wai­ehu-Wai­luku) leads a coalition of 25 Demo­crats and seven Republicans — 32 votes in the 51-member House.

Rep. Marcus Oshiro (D, Wahiawa-Whitmore-Poa­moho) has held on to 18 votes among Demo­crats who were loyal to House Speaker Calvin Say, who is stepping down and has endorsed Oshiro as his successor.

"I have enough," Souki said of the votes needed to control the House. "But I will talk to them and hopefully bring them together a little bit more."

Souki has announced most of his projected leadership and committee lineup but has some slots available for Demo­crats who join his coalition.

Oshiro has been calling for a caucus among House Demo­crats, who have not met as a group since the November elections. He said he would urge Demo­crats to organize without Republicans and would press Souki to justify the alliance with the GOP.

Republicans have been promised the vice chairmanships of three committees if Souki becomes speaker, including a vice chairmanship for House Minority Leader Aaron Johanson (R, Fort Shafter-Moana­lua Gardens-Alia­manu) on the powerful House Finance Committee.

Souki said he intends to keep his commitment to the Republicans even if more Demo­crats align with him.

"First things first is we need to get clarification of what was the deal made with the Republicans that he feels compelled to commit to," Oshiro said of Souki. "And No. 2, I think he needs an explanation to the caucus of how giving three vice chairs to the Republicans is good for the caucus and lends itself to a unified caucus amongst the Demo­crats."

Oshiro has offered to take his name out of contention for speaker and any other leadership or committee post and pledge his 18 votes to Rep. Sylvia Luke, a leading dissident, as speaker, if Luke agrees to organize without Republicans and give the Oshiro faction control of the House Finance Committee. Oshiro is currently chairman of the committee.

Luke (D, Punchbowl-Pauoa-Nuuanu) rejected Oshiro’s offer.

Souki has said that Luke would lead the House Finance Committee if he becomes speaker. Rep. Karl Rhoads (D, Chinatown-Iwilei-Kalihi), who defected from Say and Oshiro, would become chairman of the influential House Judiciary Committee. Rep. Scott Saiki (D, Downtown-Kakaako-McCully), another leading dissident, would become majority leader.

Souki had initially penciled in Rep. Gilbert Keith-Agaran, a fellow Maui Demo­crat, as his majority leader, but Keith-Agaran was appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie on Monday to fill the vacancy in the state Senate created by Shan Tsu­tsui’s appointment as lieutenant governor.

Keith-Agaran’s departure temporarily leaves Souki with 25 Demo­cratic votes, one short of the 26 votes needed to take power as speaker without any help from Republicans.

Souki had sought to allow lawmakers with new roles under his leadership to move into different offices at the state Capitol, but he was rebuffed by Say, who reminded his rival that he remains the speaker until a replacement is formally approved by resolution.

Souki has warned that Say is jeopardizing a smooth opening of the session and has said that the delay in logistics could cause him to request an extension of the 60-day session.

Two prominent Demo­crats — former Gov. George Ari­yo­shi and party Chairman Dante Carpenter — have appealed to House Demo­crats to organize without Republicans, arguing that such a coalition would frustrate the will of voters who made Demo­crats the majority. In a Dec. 27 letter to House Demo­crats, Ari­yo­shi called the coalition "terrible" and questioned what price Demo­crats will pay for Republican votes.

But other leading Demo­crats have publicly stayed out of the fight. Behind the scenes, several environmental, progressive and labor interests that have been upset with the more conservative Say (D, Palolo-St. Louis Heights-Kaimuki), and had worked to defeat his allies during the elections, are cheering his departure.