(BIVN) – Governor Josh Green’s pick to run the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands did not get the support of a key State Senate committee on Tuesday.

After a lengthy hearing, the Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs voted to not advise and consent to the nomination of Ikaika Anderson as Chair of DHHL.

“Ikaika has an extensive history as a public servant in our State, including serving on the Honolulu City Council from May 2009 through September 2020, and serving as its Chair from May 2019 through September 2020. While on the Council, he helped to establish Hui Mahiʻai ʻAina, a tiny-home communal village that offered shelter and wrap-around services to our homeless population in Waimānalo, Oʻahu,” wrote Governor Green in support of his nominee. “Since the announcement of his nomination as chairperson, Ikaika has been traveling across the State, speaking and engaging directly with beneficiaries and stakeholders to pursue solutions as the department continues to address the ongoing issues facing our Native Hawaiian communities.”

Anderson also had the support of former Governors Neil Abercrombie and John Waihe‘e, and numerous beneficiaries, including former State Senator Malama Solomon who travelled to Oʻahu to speak in favor of the nomination. Solomon acknowledged there was opposition to the pick, and stated, “I believe the nominee’s confirmation process has been commandeered by political agendas irrelevant to his ability as a competent administrator for the betterment of conditions for Hawaiian Homesteaders and the beneficiaries on the waitlist.”

The former Hawaiian Home Lands chair, William Aila, spoke in opposition. “It is obvious that Mr. Anderson does not grasp or chooses to ingnore his Trust Duties,” Aila wrote. “Rather than taking direction from the Commission he choose during the two Senate Informational breifings to defer to Nani Medeiros, Robin Danner, and thru them the Governor, to provide an incoherant set of answers as to how he planned to submit changes to the Strategic Plan.”

“Senators were rightfully confused and during the second briefing lied to about what the Commission approved via his ‘Five point point plan’ which rather broadly layed out a vision with a stated goal of issuing a four RFP’s with minimal specificity on what the RPF’s would accomplish and not enough specific information on how much would be allocated from the 600 million to this new vision and how many less lots would be built,” Aila continued. “Commissioner Teruya when called to testify had to disagree with Mr. Anderson’s statement that the Commission voted to deviate from the Plan. She answered truthfully that thay gave no such authority.”

“There is Mr. Anderson’s staff and there is DHHL staff,” Aila said. “Why does he operate like this? Moral at the staff level is very low.”

The senate committee ended up siding against the nomination. Four senators voted not to advise and consent to the appointment, (Chair Maile Shimabukuro, Vice chair Kurt Fevella, Sen. Les Ihara, and Sen. Jarrett Keohokalole), and only Senator Tim Richards voted in support.

The full senate will next make its decision on the nomination.