State House Speaker Joseph Souki apologized Friday for the behavior of Rep. Faye Hanohano and said a special committee investigating her conduct could have a recommendation within days.
Souki said he has the "greatest and highest respect" for Hanohano but has heard several complaints about her behavior. He said House leaders felt compelled to appoint a special committee after a college student complained in writing that he was treated rudely when he testified before Hanohano’s House Ocean, Marine Resources and Hawaiian Affairs Committee.
"It’s not the first time," Souki (D, Waihee-Waiehu-Wailuku) told reporters.
Hanohano (D, Hawaiian Acres-Pahoa-Kalapana) apologized last year after she made racial and ethnic remarks in front of exhibit specialists because she was unhappy that the art being installed in her office was not from Native Hawaiian artists.
In the most recent incident, Hanohano, who is Native Hawaiian, allegedly suggested to the college student that she might have to eat people if there was a taro famine and she faced penalties for eating shark. She also allegedly made dismissive references to Westerners and the college student’s age.
"I just want to apologize to the public, if I may, as far as the actions of any legislator that they seem not to be happy with," Souki said. "Our job is to serve the public. We are servants of the public, and I just want to insist on the members of the Legislature to remember that."
Hanohano did not respond to a request for comment left Thursday evening at her office and Friday through the House communications office. She told KITV that she thought the college student who testified before her committee was out of line and that she did nothing wrong.
On the House floor Friday, Hanohano read aloud the customary Hawaiian word of the day and chose "pilikia," which is Hawaiian for "trouble."
Aarin Jacobs, the Hawaii Pacific University environmental studies student who complained about Hanohano’s behavior, told reporters that he did not believe he did anything to provoke the representative. He said he was slightly nervous since it was the first time he had testified before the Legislature, and may have come off as weak or unprepared. He spoke in favor of a bill that would have created administrative penalties for harming sharks and rays in state waters.
Hanohano called him back before the committee for questions.
"She must have seen me as a Westerner or a haole, so clearly I believe that she was very prejudiced," said Jacobs, 22, who is from Portland, Ore. "And before I could even tell her just how much I actually do care about the culture and the land here, she judged me before she even got to know me."
Souki said the special committee will conduct an inquiry and report back to him. The findings will likely be taken before the majority House Democratic caucus, which would determine whether any disciplinary action is warranted.
Souki, as speaker, has the power to appoint an informal special committee. The House does have a formal standards of conduct committee to police lawmakers. But that committee, which has never been empaneled, can only review sworn complaints filed by fellow lawmakers.
The House has the power to censure, suspend or expel lawmakers for misconduct. House leaders also have the option of less severe sanctions, such as stripping lawmakers of committee chairmanships or leadership posts.
Jacobs said he believes Hanohano should be removed as a committee chairwoman.
"I do believe that she clearly hasn’t learned her lesson from the first time — from one of her transgressions with the art — and now she’s obviously done this again," he said.
