Baker out at helm of Ways and Means

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State Sen. Roz Baker lost the reins of the powerful Ways and Means Committee Thursday, a position she highlighted as a strong asset for her re-election this year.

Instead, Baker will head the Senate's Consumer Protection Committee.

"This will allow me to focus on growing our local economy and looking after consumers' concerns at this critical juncture, as well as helping business," Baker said in a news release from the Senate leadership.

Former Senate Vice President Donna Mercado Kim of Oahu will take over the Ways and Means Committee. Sen. Shan Tsutsui of the 4th District (Waihee-Wailuku, Kahului, Lower Paia) maintained his position as vice chairman of Ways and Means, and as the majority caucus leader.

Sen. J. Kalani English, who easily won re-election Tuesday in the 6th District (East Maui, Lanai, Molokai, Kahoolawe) remains chairman of Transportation, International and Intergovernmental Affairs. He will also be the vice chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee.

Thursday's announcement from Honolulu covered leadership and committee chairmanship assignments. The Democratic caucus continued meeting as of Thursday afternoon and had not decided the makeup of the committees.

After overcoming a nasty fight for her West and South Maui Senate seat with Republican Jan Shields on Tuesday, Baker said she was optimistic about returning to the helm of the powerful money committee, but that it was the will of the caucus on whether she would maintain it. The panel's chairmanship is considered the third most powerful position in the Senate, in part because it oversees all money bills.

Baker had campaigned this year that her 16 years of experience in the Legislature and her role as chair of Ways and Means was an advantage that a novice such as Shields could not match. She said she would be more capable than Shields of producing meaningful legislation for her constituents and for Maui County.

Baker maintained Thursday that Maui would be well represented in the Senate, especially because of the wide range of concerns that its senators cover in their committee assignments.

While she enjoyed chairing Ways and Means, Baker said she believed Kim "is capable of managing our state finances, and I am happy to direct my efforts at creating new opportunities and building a stronger future for our state."

Under Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, Sen. Russell Kokubun of the Big Island replaces Kim as the Senate vice president.

Newly elected senators received prominent positions including Sen. Dwight Takamine of Hawaii, who got a newly created Senate Labor Committee.

On Thursday, Baker, Tsutsui and English issued their own joint news release.

The Maui contingent of senators has pointed out in previous years that the county has benefited in millions of dollars of capital improvement projects, in part because of their roles as leaders and members on the Ways and Means Committee.

On Thursday, they said they believe their committee leadership posts will allow them to put a greater emphasis on Maui County's needs, and help the island prepare for the future.

"This is a team effort," English said. "I think more than you'll find in other places, the three of us work together to meet the needs of our islands as a whole. Individually we are very strong advocates, but together we're much more than the sum of the parts."

The Maui delegation's committee assignments cover issues that include transportation, business, capital improvements, intergovernmental affairs, consumer protection, energy policy and the environment.

"These are primary concerns for Maui, Molokai and Lanai, both to maintain what we have now and to build a preferred future for our community," Baker said.

Tsutsui said he sees a balance among the areas of influence Maui's senators will have. English, for example, has added intergovernmental affairs to his committee, and he will serve as the vice chairman of the Energy and Environment Committee.

"The interplay between transportation, energy policy and environmental concerns is very powerful," Tsutsui said.

"Roz taking over Consumer Protection, which also influences business, energy and the economy, is great for Maui," Tsutsui added. "With Roz as chair, I'm confident Hawaii consumers will have a strong advocate. At the same time, she will make sure that we strengthen industry in a way that serves our community's needs."

Baker said chairing the Consumer Protection Committee presents a number of opportunities for the Valley Isle.

"Maui is all about balance," she said. "From resorts to small businesses, we have a tremendous range of needs and desires. Whether we are looking at energy costs, job creation, transportation needs, or preserving open space, we need to find a way to support business, job creation and economic diversity, while also ensuring that the people who make Maui home maintain the quality of life that they value so much," she said.

Baker said moving from Ways and Means to Consumer Protection is exciting for her. "With the economy slowing, chairing Ways and Means would have meant making cuts. With Consumer Protection, I have a chance to create something, to help foster a growing economy. That's a great position to be in," she said.

* Claudine San Nicolas can be reached at claudine@mauinews.com.