New political maps being proposed by the state Reapportionment Commission would shift an Oahu Senate seat to Hawaii island and place two Democrats into the same Senate district in the Makiki-Moiliili area.
On the House side, at least five pairs of incumbents would find themselves in the same districts, creating an equal number of vacant seats in surrounding areas.
New maps, which were required after the state Supreme Court tossed out the plans approved last year, are being presented today at a meeting of the state Reapportionment Commission.
Under the new proposal a new open Senate seat is created in Puna-South Hilo and Volcano, said Dylan Nonaka, a commission member who was on the technical committee that drew up the maps.
The loss of a Senate seat on Oahu forces the remaining 18 districts to grow, shifting boundaries and creating larger districts.
State Sens. Carol Fukunaga (D, Lower Makiki-Punchbowl) and Brian Taniguchi (D, Moiliili-Manoa) would be carved into the same district, forcing them to run against each other to remain in office.
Under the previous plan, three sets of state House representatives landed in the same district. Those representatives would still have to face each other this year under the new plan.
They are Mark Nakashima (D, Hawi-Hilo) and Jerry Chang (D, Piihonua-Kaumana) on Hawaii island; Kymberly Pine (R, Ewa Beach-Iroquois Point) and Rida Cabanilla (D, Waipahu-Ewa) in Leeward Oahu; and Mark Hashem (D, Hahaione Valley-Aina Haina) and Barbara Marumoto (R, Kalani Valley-Diamond Head) in East Oahu.
Also being placed in the same district are state Reps. Scott Saiki (D, Moiliili-McCully) and Della Au Belatti (D, Tantalus-Makiki); and state Reps. Jessica Wooley (D, Laie-Kahuku) and Gil Riviere (R, Schofield-Kahuku).
The Aiea-Pearl City District 33, currently vacant after the resignation of state Rep. Tom Okamura, also would encroach on the Newtown-Pearl City District occupied by state Rep. K. Mark Takai. Okamura’s replacement would likely be in the same district as Takai, creating a fifth face-to-face contest on Oahu, Nonaka said.
There would be five open House districts on Oahu and one on Hawaii island.
Reapportionment is constitutionally required every 10 years, to redraw political boundaries to reflect shifting population.
New maps were needed after the Supreme Court on Jan. 4 tossed out the redistricting plan approved last year by the commission. The court sided with Hawaii island plaintiffs who argued the commission included too many nonpermanent residents — military members, their dependents and nonresident students — in the base population count used for determining the number of seats alloted to each island.
Including those nonresidents, plaintiffs argued, maintained a greater population base on Oahu and negated population gains on Hawaii island that should result in the island gaining a state Senate seat.
Public comment on the new proposal will be accepted at meetings next week — on Hawaii island and Oahu — before the commission is expected to approve the plan at its final meeting Feb. 23.
