Souki to remain House speaker
STAR-ADVERTISER
Joe Souki:
The House speaker has declared his support for the rail tax and various tax increases
In his long career in Hawaii politics, Democratic House Speaker Joe Souki has risen to power, been ousted, and then engineered a deal to get that power back. At 85, he still commands respect, and he isn’t ready to walk away yet.
Both Souki’s supporters and critics say he has firmly locked down all the votes he needs to remain as speaker for the next two years, quietly gathering that support with his allies even before lawmakers adjourned the last session in May.
Collecting firm political commitments that early effectively left no room for any would-be House dissidents to challenge Souki’s authority regardless of the outcome of the primary or general elections.
The House is also expected to retain much of the rest of its top leadership, including House Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke and House Majority Leader Scott Saiki.
Luke said the current House leadership initially agreed Souki would hold the speaker’s job for four years, and that four years has now expired. However, “Scott and I made it very clear to Joe that as long as he wants to be speaker, we’re committed to him because this was a mutual relationship, and we like working with each other,” she said.
At the close of the 2016 session, Saiki and Luke helped gather signatures in support of Souki on a petition that committed the House Democrats to retain him as speaker for the next biennium, and each of the Democrats who won their primary races on Aug. 13 have already signed that document, Luke said.
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Assuming the Democrats remain true to that commitment — and they are expected to do so — there is no one left to buck the existing House organization. Republicans hold just seven seats in the 51-member House, and they are not expected to significantly expand their numbers this year.
“I look forward to serving the House again, and I thank the House members for having faith and confidence in me,” Souki said in an interview Saturday.
Souki (D, Waiehu- Wailuku) said it is premature to discuss what policy agenda he hopes to pursue in the two years ahead. He said that discussion should wait until after the November election, when Souki faces Republican Gil Rebolledo in the general election.
However, Souki tends to be outspoken about his views, and he has already taken public positions on two key issues that lawmakers are certain to consider next year.
Souki supports another extension of the half-percent excise tax on Oahu to provide additional funding to complete the over-budget $8.1 billion Honolulu rail project, and also supports proposals by Gov. David Ige to increase the state’s gas tax, weight tax and vehicle registration fee to provide more money for highway construction and maintenance.
However, that does not necessarily mean all House Democrats will support those additional taxes. Some, such as House Vice Speaker John Mizuno, flatly oppose them, and Luke and Saiki did not respond to candidate questionnaires seeking their views on those tax proposals. However, Souki’s voice in support of those controversial proposals will carry weight.
Souki has served in the Legislature since 1982, and was first elected House speaker by the ruling Democrats in 1993. He held that job until 1999, when a coup led by then-House Finance Committee Chairman Calvin Say removed him.
Souki then served in less influential positions in the House for the next 13 years until a new coalition formed to overturn Say’s organization, and returned Souki to the speaker’s post in 2013.
21 responses to “Souki to remain House speaker”
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He should
Step out of office. He is going into senility. Why during most of the session he is not on the podium?
OMG, nothing changes in local politics.
Been dipping his beak forever, and the public allows it.
Mr. Ethics at the helm.
Hooray status quo. Yippee more of the same.
“Souki supports another extension of the half-percent excise tax on Oahu to provide additional funding to complete the over-budget $8.1 billion Honolulu rail project…” Of course, he supports the extension of the surcharge since the legislature skims millions of $$$$$ from it.
Souki, Kouchi, Baker, Keith-Aragsn and other outer island legislators use the people of Oahu as their cash cows. They are doing it with the rail surcharge and tried to do it with TAT. It is seen in less clearly in funding decisions for various projects, such as the generous school construction funds allocated to Maui compared to Oahu.
Luke, Saiki, Belatti, Tokuda have allowed this in exchange for political power (committee chairs).
At what point does all this become Taxation Without Representation? We’re not there yet, but Oahu taxpayers pay 80% of the state’s taxes, but we have been getting far less from our sell-out representatives.
All the democrats support extending the GE tax surcharge. In fact they’re probably going to make it permanent, just watch. That’s what they’re masters want and that’s what the legislature will do. PRP and the unions own them.
Why?
Sign an agreement supporting him? Really? As bad as the republikans in US congress! Time to go!
And:
Luke and Saiki did not respond to candidate questionnaires seeking their views on those tax proposals.
Heaven forbid that they should inform the public on their actions. again: Really?
and people wonder why this state is so messed up and a $ $ backwards. I mean wow talk about insane, doing the same thing over and over and expecting anything different or better for the tax paying resident ! Souki should RESIGN, we need NEW IDEAS !! Luke is a joke !
Problem there is NO ONE to vote for with any hope of change. Ok DJOU is the only one, I mean wow this state is doomed.
Saiki and Luke and others all support Souki as he has assured them that they will retain their positions in the house. Its a mutual benefit pact assuming of course that Souki is re-elected.
That’s how leadership organization works. You support people who will support you. What’s the big deal?
What a conundrum…the same old boys (and girls) of a one party state stay in power and many run unopposed with one of the lowest voter turnouts in the nation. More tax and fee increases on our way to our inefficient and ineffective state bureaucracy. How do we ever get better? The nei is becoming more third world and we have to be one of the most corrupt states this side of Mexico.
How does that guy even get elected?
Because he brings pork and Oahu money to his district.
Come on Sheeple…let’s continue letting goons like this run the state. Third world is too advanced. We’re FOURTH.
Joe Souki is doing a great job for Hawaii and that is why the House is keeping him, and he is not senile, he’s smart as a fox. Hope I will have his clarity if I live that long.
How is Souki doing good for Oahu? Using the 10% of the GET surcharge that only Oahu taxpayers pay for projects on Maui? Funding a new Kikei high school where enrollment is dropping but no money for West and Central Oahu? Tryong to reduce Oahu’s share of the transient accommodations tax and give it to Maui? Pushing through a 70 $million payout just for Maui workers when Oahu’s taxpayers will fund 80% of it?
Joe Souki is doing a great job for Maui and he has dovided the Oahu delegation by giving favors to a few sellouts from Oahu, That is why he has enough votes in the House to keep his leadership position.
BTW, its even worse on the Senate side.
‘… he has DIVIDED the Oahu delegation by giving favors…’
“… new KIHEI high school where enrollment is dropping… “