Supporters Say ‘Abuse Of Power’ Is At The Heart Of Senate Committee’s Rejection Of UH Regent
The full Senate is set to vote on Alapaki Nahale-a’s reappointment this week. The future of the university is at stake, the faculty union says.
Supporters of Alapaki Nahale-a are coming out in force to support the University of Hawaii Board of Regents chair as he fights for his seat before the Hawaii State Senate.
On Friday, just a few days after Nahale-a’s reappointment was rejected by the Senate Higher Education Committee, the Senate scheduled a floor vote for Tuesday, prompting supporters to quickly organize on his behalf.
That support now includes that late Sunday said more than 7,000 signatures had been collected as part of a letter campaign on behalf of Nahale-a.
“Alapaki Nahale-a is more than just an educator. He is an ‘艒iwi (native) leader, advocate, and community builder whose dedication and commitment to our community are unparalleled,” the Action Network website says.
Cyrus Johnasen, a community activist and Hawaii County employee in Hilo, , “Beyond my aloha and affinity for ka ohana Nahale-a, this plea comes from a place of hurt and disappointment in our state leadership. It comes from a place of anger because of the circumstances by which it appears that Senate leadership is working to displace a Hawaiian voice from one of the most important decision-making bodies in the State of Hawaii. And further, a Hawaii Island voice. A homestead voice.”
And on Saturday the 鈥 the faculty union 鈥 posted on its website under the headline “Abuse of Power” : “So here we are again. A move by Senator Donna Mercado Kim to reshape the Board of Regents into her name, image, and likeness so that finally the Senate can get what they have long desired 鈥 control over the UH.”
Last Tuesday, Kim’s Higher Education Committee rejected Nahale-a’s nomination, saying he’s not lived up to their expectations of exercising oversight over the UH system. But on Thursday Nahale-a said he would fight for his job rather than withdraw his nomination from Gov. Josh Green.
UHPA said in its posting that the vote will be close “because there are still some Senators who believe in an honest, open, and collaborative process of government that does not succumb under political pressure or performance politics. This vote is not about Alapaki Nahale-a. This vote is about abuse of power. If you are frustrated now about not being at the table for the UH Presidential search or concerned about threats over your tenure, academic freedom, and decreased funding, there will be darker days ahead on the horizon.”
There , and it takes only 13 to confirm or reject a nominee.
As of Sunday it was not clear what time the vote for Nahale-a would come, as Tuesday will also include Senate debate on hundreds of bills to meet Thursday’s first crossover deadline.
The Senate will be posted online Tuesday morning and will likely show when the Senate could take up the vote during its lengthy agenda. Interim regents Lauren Akitake and Neil Abercrombie are also scheduled to receive full Senate votes Tuesday.
Nahale-a is the interim regent of Hawaii County. If he is not reappointed, the chairmanship will likely go to Gabriel Lee, the board vice chair who represents Honolulu County.
If Nahale-a is reappointed, the “interim” title will dropped and he will finish his term as chair, which ends in June 鈥 unless he is reelected as chair. His term as a regent would end in 2028.
