STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3252

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    GOV. MSG. NO. 638

 

 

 

Honorable Ronald D. Kouchi

President of the Senate

Twenty-Ninth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2018

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Judiciary, to which was referred Governor's Message No. 638, submitting for study and consideration the nomination of: 

 

Attorney General of the State of Hawai'i

 

G.M. No. 638

RUSSELL A. SUZUKI,

for a term to expire at noon on 12-03-2018,

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     Your Committee reviewed the personal history, resume, and statement submitted by Russell A. Suzuki for nomination as the Attorney General of the State of Hawaii.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of the nomination of Russell A. Suzuki as the Attorney General of the State of Hawaii from the Office of the Governor; Office of the Lieutenant Governor; Department of Land and Natural Resources; Department of Transportation; Department of Human Services; Department of Accounting and General Services; Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism; Department of Agriculture; Department of Labor and Industrial Relations; Department of Public Safety; Office of Elections; Office of Enterprise Technology Services; Research Corporation of the University of Hawaii; Sex Abuse Treatment Center; United Public Workers, AFSCME, Local 646, AFL-CIO; and forty-five individuals.  Your Committee received testimony in opposition to the nomination of Russell A. Suzuki as the Attorney General of the State of Hawaii from one individual.

 

     Mr. Suzuki received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and his Doctorate of Jurisprudence from Ohio State University.  He currently serves as Acting Attorney General and previous to that has served as First Deputy Attorney General under Attorneys General Douglas Chin, David Louie, and Mark Bennett.  He has practiced as a public sector attorney at the Department of the Attorney General for the past thirty-six years, and has served as counsel to the Office of the Governor, Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Department of Accounting and General Services, Department of Budget and Finance, Department of Education, University of Hawaii, and State Judiciary.  Prior to his service at the Department of the Attorney General, he practiced criminal defense law, family law, business law, and military law at the Law Offices of Yoshiro Nakamura.

 

     Testimony submitted in support of the nomination of Mr. Suzuki's nomination commend his extensive experience, deep institutional knowledge, and strong command of Hawaii's statutes and regulations.  He has served as First Deputy Attorney General for three gubernatorial administrations and is highly regarded as a strong problem solver with the capacity to deal impartially with all matters that come before the Department of the Attorney General.  Many testifiers observed that Mr. Suzuki's seasoned judgment, extensive knowledge, and professional demeanor will continue to be great assets to the Department of the Attorney General.

 

     Your Committee finds that, based on the testimony submitted on his behalf, Russell A. Suzuki has the experience, temperament, and other competencies to be the Attorney General of the State of Hawaii, and in that capacity he will continue to be a strong advocate on behalf of the interests of the State, its citizens, and its residents.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Judiciary that is attached to this report, your Committee, after full consideration of the background, experience, and qualifications of the nominee, has found the nominee to be qualified for the position to which nominated and recommends that the Senate advise and consent to the nomination.

 


Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Judiciary,

 

 

 

____________________________

BRIAN T. TANIGUCHI, Chair