Sylvia Luke’s Bid For LG Will ‘Shake Things Up’ At The Legislature … As Finance Committee chairwoman, Luke controls the money, has command of the details and has made a lot of friends.
When freshman Rep. Greggor Ilagan was assigned to the House Finance Committee in his first year at the state Legislature, he was out of his element. He had wrestled with budgets before as a member of the Hawaii County Council, but the state budget was much larger and far more complex.
Ilagan’s mentor has been Finance Chairwoman Sylvia Luke, one of the top two leaders in the House. Colleagues say Luke has been a benefactor to new House members for years, often displaying a light personal touch for less experienced colleagues in what can be an unforgiving political realm.
On Sunday, Luke announced she is planning to run for lieutenant governor next year, which means she will abandon one of the most powerful positions in state government to launch her first statewide campaign.
