Horner breezes through Senate confirmation vote

The state Senate voted unanimously Wednesday to approve Gov. Neil Abercrombie’s appointment of retired banker Don Horner to a second term on the state Board of Education.

Horner was one of Abercrombie’s initial appointments to the volunteer board in 2011 after voters approved a constitutional amendment that did away with an elected school board. He is chairman of the board and its Audit Committee.

"I look forward to a second term because there is much more work to be done," Horner said after the 25-0 vote.

The vote simultaneously approved nine other gubernatorial nominees for various state boards and commissions, including Jim Williams to a second term on the Board of Education.

The Senate Education Committee had vetted Horner’s nomination earlier this month and, after a three-hour public hearing, recommended his reappointment for a term through mid-2017.

At that hearing, Horner’s nomination was met with opposition, particularly from gay rights activists and atheist groups for his position as a volunteer pastor for New Hope Diamond Head.

He teaches a weekly Bible class, but is not paid by the church.

Those supporting Horner’s reappointment included several of his fellow BOE members, the Hui for Excellence in Education, Hawaii Association for Independent Schools, the state Public Charter School Commission and Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights.

Opponents criticized Horner for being affiliated with New Hope, which opposed same-sex marriage and was one of several churches sued for allegedly shortchanging public schools on rental fees.

Horner was accused of conflicts of interest and failing to maintain separation of church and state, accusations he later deflected when questioned by lawmakers.

"Chair Horner reiterated that while he has never attempted to hide his religious affiliation, he made clear that he has never imposed it upon our school system through his position on the Board of Education or in board policy," said Sen. Jill Tokuda (D, Kailua-Kaneohe), chairwoman of the Senate Education Committee.

Tokuda described Horner as gracious and humble and cited several accomplishments during his tenure, including the implementation of a first-ever joint BOE-DOE strategic plan; a plan to ensure all schools are accredited within the next five years; increased accessibility to the board through stakeholder meetings, office hours and a hotline; and implementation of a new law to increase performance and accountability of charter schools.