Helene Hale
From dKosopedia
Overview
Helene Hale (March 23, 1918), a Democrat, a member of the Democratic Party, was first elected in 2000 to represent the 4th Representative District on the Hawaii State House of Representatives of the Hawaii State Legislature. Rep. Hale retired from the state legislature, her last session being the 2006 session. The 4th Representative District is the Puna area of the island of Hawaii, in the state of Hawaii. Rep. Hale supported Luana Jones to be her replacement in the 4th district in the 2006 elections.
From a Honolulu Advertiser column by David Shapiro:
- She was born in Minneapolis and worked as a teacher before coming to Hawai'i in 1947.
- Hale was elected to the Big Island Board of Supervisors after the political revolution that swept Democrats to power in 1954 and served 10 years — including a term as chairwoman from 1963 to 1965.
- She was the first African-American elected to office in Hawai'i and the first woman to hold an executive position in local government since Queen Liliu'okalani.
- Hale helped lead the Big Island through the transition to statehood and was one of the founders of Hilo's Merrie Monarch Festival.
- Hale took a hiatus from politics to attend to business interests, including a real estate agency, a bookstore and a Kona coffee farm, then returned to public life with her election to the 1978 Constitutional Convention.
- She served 10 years on the Hawai'i County Council between 1980 and 1994, then took another break before winning election to the state House of Representatives in 2000 at the age of 82. [1]
Rep. Hale had an excellent environmental voting record according to the Sierra Club of Hawaii (see below).
Rep. Hale also has a good record with regard to gay related legislation. Hale voted for the Hate Crimes Bill in 2001 and for the Housing Non-Discrimination Bill in 2004 that would make it illegal for real-estate agents or landlords to discriminate against potential home buyers or renters based on sexual orientation. However, she opposes same-sex civil marriages.
Past Political Office
- Member, Board of Supervisors, County of Hawaii, 1955 - 1963
- Chairman and Executive Officer, County of Hawaii (forerunner of Mayor), 1963 - 1965
- Member, Hawaii County Council, 1980 - 1984, 1988 - 1992, 1992 - 1994
- Delegate, 1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention
External Links
- Legislative ScoreCard 2003-2004 - 93% (Sierra Club of Hawaii)
- 2002 Legislative ScoreCard 2001-2002 - 100% (Sierra Club of Hawaii)
- Thompson, Rod. Ancient ritual opens hula meet Honolulu Star-Bulletin, July 27, 2001.
- Hale, Helene. Losing a son, gaining a calling to help mentally ill Honolulu Star-Bulletin, July 18, 2004.
- White, Doug. Hale kin confirms stroke Poinography, December 15, 2005.
- White, Doug. Representative Hale may retire if a suitable Dem emerges Poinography, March 12, 2006.
- White, Doug. Hale to retire and endorse a newcomer in the already contested race Poinography, April 16, 2006.
- Shapiro, David. Helene Hale's legacy: a good pain in 'okole Honolulu Advertiser, May 17, 2006.
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