A state Senate committee rejected Gov. Josh Green’s appointment to lead the state’s Division of Company, Financial Improvement and Tourism on Thursday.

The Senate Committee on Power, Financial Improvement and Tourism voted four-1 not to propose Chris Sadayasu, who has been acting director because appointment, for the position.

Regardless of the refusal of advisement, Sadayasu’s confirmation will nevertheless go prior to the complete Senate for final approval or denial.

The vast DBEDT oversees some of the state’s biggest projects such as Aloha Stadium, tourism management, economical housing improvement and a lot more.

For the duration of the relatively individual hearing, senators questioned Sadayasu’s leadership of Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority contracts, especially a move earlier this year, when Sadayasu took it into his hands to situation a request for proposals for promoting the North America market place, with no HTA consultation.

Senators also questioned Sadayasu’s commitment to the job. In a single instance, Sen. Kurt Favella of Oʻahu spoke critically of Sadayasu leaving an HTA board meeting early in December for his father-in-law’s funeral.

Later in the hearing, committee Chair Sen. Lynn DeCoite of Maui stated she was “concerned” with his spotty attendance, recounting an additional meeting in which the acting director left early to see the musical “Hamilton.”

“Yikes, you should really have, in my opinion, planned much better,” DeCoite stated.

An lawyer by trade, Sadayasu previously worked in the Division of the Lawyer Basic. Prior to that, he was a tourism brand manager for HTA.

“The selection to not tips and consent was not individual. I think the person has credential but in the procedure of attempting to deal with various agencies, I am extremely concerned,” Decoite closed out the meeting.

Earlier this week, the exact same committee suggested the confirmation of DBEDT deputy director Dane Wicker.

This is the second of the governor’s cabinet appointees to eventually be rejected by the 1st hearing committee.