(Senator Josh Green testified in front of the state Reapportionment Commission today. This is a copy of his testimony)
Aloha,
My name is Josh Green. I am a physician and legislator on the Big Island. Let me start by acknowledging that this commission has a very challenging and important job before it.
The fact that it is challenging, does not however, make it immune from state law or scrutiny.
Presently redistricting considerations for a 4 Senate district map for the Big Island (should it be approved by the commission or mandated by the courts) are being hijacked behind closed doors by a small group of individuals and no information is being given to the public. It was suggested to me today by Mr. Nonaka that this map might never be discussed publically. When I asked how that was possible, he concisely stated, with a 4 seat map, ‘You’ll just be F#%k$d’. His words, not mine. This obviously caused me to have some concern for the people of West Hawaii.
Most concerning however, is a serious violation of the law.
I have learned that the plan is to gerrymander a district which will specifically benefit a former Senator, Lorraine Inouye so she won’t have to run against an incumbent Senator in Waimea next year. It places Waimea into the West Hawaii district and removes all of South Kona from West Hawaii.
By gerrymandering the districts in this way, Kona will be split in half. This is poison to the entire West Hawaii Community and runs counter to the expectations of every citizen in that region.
These actions will also carve out a new district in south Kona/Kau, ostensibly for one of the members of the commission, Mr. Nonaka, or for his mother to run in.
I need to point out that redistricting in this way, to directly favor specific individuals is ILLEGAL.
If this secretive approach to reapportionment continues over the final days of this commission’s work, there will be immediate legal action taken against those committee members who conspired to gerrymander the Big Island districts to benefit specific candidates, with the result of displacing many thousands of Big Island voters. Individuals will be placed under oath and then the process will be explored fully.
Let me be clear, the people of Kona will not tolerate their community being politically divided in half, to serve someone’s agenda behind closed doors.
Mahalo,
[Senator Josh Green]
Related item: Nonaka: I’ll Pay You $1 Million if My Mom Runs for Senate
