A Civil Beat Investigation: In Hawaii’s workers’ comp system, people with long-lasting injuries are often forced to battle doctors hand-picked by insurance companies to get treatment and disability payments.
As House Speaker Joe Souki welcomed the media to his fourth floor office at the Hawaii State Capitol Thursday, he asked if anyone cared for a cup of coffee.
A wise-ass reporter (me) asked him if the coffee was paid for by Alexander & Baldwin.
Souki, the longtime Maui representative, didn’t miss a beat.
“No, they didn’t buy the coffee,” he said. “But there’s some sugar that might be from A&B.”
At the press availability Thursday, Souki was asked whether HB 2501 was special legislation.
“Of course not,” he said chuckling. “Why do you ask that question?”
The speaker explained that the bill went “way beyond” A&B in that it involved other companies, communities in Upcountry Maui and agricultural land in Central Maui. He called the measure “a fair allocation of water for all parties … That’s all it is.”
Souki said he would run for re-election but would not “presume” that his House colleagues would select him for another term as speaker.
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Chad Blair is the Politics and Opinion Editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on Twitter at @chadblairCB.
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