An East Hawaii lawmaker was absent from opening day of the 2016 legislative session and will remain out until further notice, his family says.
An East Hawaii lawmaker was absent from opening day of the 2016 legislative session and will remain out until further notice, his family says.
State Sen. Gil Kahele, a Democrat who represents Hilo, checked into The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu on Monday to address medical issues and undergo testing.
Kahele remained in the hospital Wednesday, the first day of the 2016 session, and is not expected to return today. His son, Kai Kahele, declined to specify the nature of the medical problems but said his father became aware of them several weeks ago.
Gil Kahele has been itching to return to work all week, Kai Kahele added, and the senator is hoping for clearance from his medical team soon.
“If he had his way, he’d be back tomorrow,” Kai Kahele said. “We’re hoping he’ll be back by next week, but it’s too early to tell.”
Gil Kahele, 72, was first appointed to office in 2011. He’s a Big Island native and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran.
Kahele chairs the Tourism and International Affairs Committee and vice chairs the Higher Education and Arts Committee. He recently told the Tribune-Herald he’d like to look at increasing the state’s transient accommodation tax from 9.25 percent to 9.5 percent to fund improvements for visitor facilities.
“We invite a lot of tourists here, but some of our visitor sites are not the best in the world,” he said in the Tuesday article.
The state Senate issued a news release Wednesday confirming Kahele’s absence, and Senate President Ronald Kouchi touched on the matter in his opening remarks, noting Kahele hoped to attend but had to stay at Queen’s for more testing.
“I can tell you that I spoke to him yesterday, and I spoke to him this morning,” Kouchi said in his remarks. “He is in good spirits, and he, as an ex-Marine, is a fighter and ready to go, and I feel sorry for the doctor who is trying to keep him in the hospital.”
Kahele’s office remains open during his absence, Kai Kahele said.
“He wanted to be there, trust me,” he said, adding the senator is very appreciative of prayers and support from the Big Island community. “Stubborn is putting it mildly. But we’ve got to help him take care of himself so he can return to work at his full capacity.”
Email Kirsten Johnson at kjohnson@hawaiitribune-herald.com.