Lingle says the will of the people was ignored

The state Senate, in a 15-8 vote, rejected the nomination of Peter Young to serve a second four-year term as director of the Department of Land and Natural Resources this afternoon.

Democratic Sens. Robert Bunda, Les Ihara, and Lorraine Inouye joined the Senate’s five Republicans in supporting Young.

After the vote, Gov. Linda Lingle said it showed that the Senate both ignored the public and failed to treat Young fairly.

“I was surprised at the Senate’s willingness to ignore people from all across the state,” she said.

Young was asked by Lingle to help lead a committee to pick a new nominee. The temporary director for the department will be picked later Lingle said.

The rejection was widely expected after the Senate’s Water, Land, Agriculture and Hawaiian Affairs Committee voted 4-1 against recommending Young yesterday.

The committee had held an unprecendented five-day confirmation hearing that included taking testimony in private executive sessions.

Young supporters, including many environmentalists, complained about the process as unfair and stacked against Young.

“This Senate process says to nominees that they won’t necessarily be treated fairly,” Lingle said this afternoon.

At yesterday’s hearing the committee’s lone Republican, Sen. Sam Slom (R, Kahala-Hawaii Kai) complained, “I don’t think King Kamehameha could ever be confirmed by this committee.”

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(Source: Richard Borreca, Honolulu Star-Bulletin)