The Hawaii Supreme Court this morning denied an appeal brought by an Ewa Beach citizen challenging the constitutionality of the one-per-decade update to the Honolulu City Council districts.

The reapportionment plan was adopted last year amid complaints from one member that political favors were a main motivating factor for the alignment of the new district boundaries through Ewa Beach.

Glenn Oamilda’s petition referenced the state reapportionment plan that was invalidated because the state commission did not remove non-resident military and students from the population base.

The city commission used the same population base, but the Honolulu Charter is different from the Hawaii Constitution. The Supreme Court said city ordinances don’t require that the districts be drawn using a “permanent” population base and said Oamilda’s assertions “are not support by any evidence.”

The city clerk has been distributing and accepting nomination papers for council seats since Feb. 1 and will continue to conduct business as usual with a green light from the Supreme Court.

Read the two-page order dismissing the case here:

Petition Dismissed