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State Sen. Slom taken to hospital after falling ill at Capitol

CRAIG T. KOJIMA / JAN. 18, 2012

Sam Slom speaks on the Senate floor during the opening of the 2012 legislature.

State Sen. Sam Slom was taken to an emergency room from the state Capitol today, according to House Speaker Joseph Souki.

Souki interrupted the proceedings in the state House shortly after 1:15 p.m. to announce the illness of Slom, 73, who is the lone Republican in the state Senate.

Senators interrupted the Senate floor session twice today to check on Slom, who appeared to be ill. Slom initially assured his colleagues he could continue with the session.

An spokeswoman in Slom’s office said the senator walked to an ambulance after the session was over.

Slom has served in the Senate since 1996 and represents the 9th District from Hawaii Kai to Kahala and Diamond Head.

53 responses to “State Sen. Slom taken to hospital after falling ill at Capitol”

  1. copperwire9 says:

    Best wishes, Sam. I probably disagree with you about 90% of the time, but I treasure you and wish you well (not just because of your quirky humor).

  2. dsl says:

    Get well soon Sam!

  3. GorillaSmith says:

    Get well, Sam. We really need you.

  4. Snator says:

    The only Republican falling ill. Coincidence? Conspiracy? Hope he’s back soon.

  5. sjean says:

    Good thing he probably has a Cadillac health plan paid for by state tax payers….He should get well sooner because of this.

    • copperwire9 says:

      He has the exact same insurance choices, and pays at the exact same rate, as any other state employee.

      • atilter says:

        REALLY..????? and what kind of plans do the state employees have, pray tell? and please be specific as to coverages and premiums and DEDUCTIBLES? do i think that the state employee plans are different from non-state employee plans – YOU BET!!! do i think the playing field is un-even and un-fair? darn right! the answer to the question “why” will be enlightening to the uninitiated.

        • mitt_grund says:

          If you did your research, you would know the answer. Info is available to public. Do the work yourself. Then you will know the sources to go to. Instead of ranting and raving. Tch tch, Tea Party types need to sip some to calm their nerves.

  6. kuroiwaj says:

    Take care Sam. Get well. As Manoa classmates, we are getting older.

  7. MoiLee says:

    Get Well Sam!!And get back to work soon!
    You are considered to be the last Republican we have in Hawaii. How many Republicans do we have? You can count them on 1 hand! Ha!ha!ha!
    At times most Republican constituents here are unrepresented because of the Dominate Democratic party and the Liberal Mindset. With you on the Senate floor,at least you give us a……VOICE. The Un-Represented Republicans. Get Well. IMUA!

    • Jonathan_Patrick says:

      Sam needs to challenge David Ige in 2018. If not, please have kehdpdjdl nominate me. I promise open government with no strings attached.

    • copperwire9 says:

      Just a reminder that that it’s the citizens who choose their legislators. So your implied blame of the “Dominate (sic) Democratic party and the Liberal Mindset” is curious.

      Y’all keep saying “Let the people decide.” When they do…well…

      • justmyview371 says:

        The Democratic Party leaders are like Pied Pipers. The people follow their orders.

        • copperwire9 says:

          And who, exactly, “makes” them do that? Has someone deprived them of free will? Really???

        • kekelaward says:

          Their lack of ethics helps them to enrich themselves at the cost of the taxpayers, so I guess they do it themselves.

          They have free will, they just decided to take care of themselves, rather than others (which is the exact opposite of what they say their party will do for People.)

        • mitt_grund says:

          Well except for Linda Lingle, the GOP has been remarkably lacking in any semblance to a Pied Piper. Mostly rich folk with constipated smiles and soft, effeminate handshakes. You know like John Henry Felix.

        • copperwire9 says:

          kekelaward – “They” referred to the *voters,* the citizens who choose the legislators. Contrary to Moilee’s assertion, there is no pied piper (“Dominate (sic) Democrat Party and the Liberal Mindset”) making the voters do anything. The voters make the decisions about who’s in office.

          As to your assertion that the legislators – apparently all of them, from your perspective – are enriching themselves due to their lack of ethics: How many of the 76 state legislators do you know? When you visited their offices and went to their community meetings, what was it like to be hanging around them? How did you figure out that all 76 are crooks, as you strongly imply?

          What??? You don’t do that kind of thing?

          You haven’t called their offices or gone to meetings, or written them letters, or voted, or been part of the governance systems at all? Yet you know these terrible things? Goodness gracious. That’s pretty impressive.

          But maybe you *have* done some or all of those things – gone to the legislators’ community meetings, talked to them in the grocery store, voted for or against them.

          And you assert, on the basis of those encounters, that they are *all* crooks?

          So…how fair are you being, really?

          Maybe you do know one or more crooked legislators, know it for a fact. That’s certainly possible. Every barrel does, most often, wind up with a few rotten apples. But tossing out the whole barrel of them, or just refusing what they are offering their constituents – and condemning them all in one big swoop, seems somewhere far beyond foolish, from my perspective.

          So, what are YOU going to do to change things?

          If you want a strong and viable political system, get off the couch and go work for it. You’ll find it much more gratifying than you could ever imagine, and you could be making the world a better place at the same time.

          In anticipation of that day, I thank you.

    • oxtail01 says:

      Since you find it necessary to interject political commentary into a report on man’s health, it may be that what made him sick are the “frauds, conmen, and liars” vying to be his party’s leader.

      • sarge22 says:

        Hillary is not a Republican.

        • oxtail01 says:

          Not my words of describing your loved ones. It comes out of the mouth of ur beloved sickos. Heil Trump, or Cruz, or Rubio (they make Hitler proud). You know when even Romney is disgusted, that’s pretty sick.

        • kekelaward says:

          You know Ox, if you have to stoop to Godwin’s Law, you’ve run out of facts to back your argument.

          I find it interesting how so many dems seem to innately know what and how Hitler would feel and think about things.

      • udonnome says:

        Touche’

  8. mjr says:

    Sam Slom – Get better and God speed your recovery. Best,

  9. Cellodad says:

    Whatever one’s political philosophy, everyone ought to be able to agree that Sen Slom cares deeply about Hawaii. We wish him a speedy recovery.

  10. wrightj says:

    Still studying ” kehdpdjdl ” – will try Googling to find the meaning.

  11. Racoon says:

    Lucky Queen’s is right across the street. Can walk or be carried there to avoid ambulance service. then you can wait 4 hours like all of us just to see the first doctor.

  12. residenttaxpayer says:

    Speedy recovery Mr. Slom

  13. taka16 says:

    The lone republican? Hope he gets well! #Kaaihue4Mayor

  14. NanakuliBoss says:

    He’s a republican, I’m a democrat, but in Hawaii we send our aloha to Sam. Get well soon and take care.

  15. Boots says:

    The article said it was updated 4:35 AM 3/5 but I sure didn’t see anything new. Hope he is doing ok. Although I generally disagree with him, I thought he was a decent politician. Get well Sam!

  16. HawaiiCheeseBall says:

    Take care Senator!

    • cojef says:

      Don’t wish him any ill wind, but wonder where he stands on term limits? Term limits will politely encourage him to the door of retirement. The State should pass term limits to insure that there will be a fresh poll of legislators in there’d midst.

      • mitt_grund says:

        If it passes, he would still be able to run another 12 years before taking a mandatory break. Odds are against Slom or anyone his age getting past that mandatory break.

      • mitt_grund says:

        Rationale for a bicameral system is that the Senate is supposed to provide experience, longevity, and knowledge accumulated over time. By that measure, they were given longer terms. The system gets its logic from Congress and the Roman Senate. If you remove that distinction, you may as well go to a unicameral legislative system. Nebraska has that distinction. Anyone know anything about Nebraska legislators or legislation? You? Thought so.

      • pilot16 says:

        Keith-Agaran killed the bill in committee…after 36 people testified in SUPPORT of the bill. Awesome. Liberal democrats maintaining power and control.

  17. mitt_grund says:

    “An spokeswoman in Slom’s office said the senator walked to an ambulance after the session was over.”

    So, they had an ambulance waiting. With the cost of ambulance service at $400 to $500, makes you wonder if the ambulance service also charges for waiting time like taxis. Can see the charge if the person is living, but if not, does the dead patient get a discount?

    Do wonder in passing, that Slom, faced with two strong candidates, one from his own party, is stressed out.

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