Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 3, 1 April 1984 — Milolii, Kahana Valley Bills Top OHA's 1984 Legislative Program [ARTICLE]

Milolii, Kahana Valley Bills Top OHA's 1984 Legislative Program

Senate Bill 1890, relating to public lands, is one of many measures monitored and sponsored by OHA whieh passed during the 1984 legislative session. The bill specifically spells out the expiration of lease dates for families of Milolii on the Big Island who were displaced from their homes in H oopuloa as a result of the 1926 lava flow. The leases were expected to expire Jan. 1, 1985, but the bill grants the families a two-year extension to Jan. 1, 1987. Additionally, the Senate Ways and Means Committee amended the bill allowing the Department of Land and Natural Resources to develop orassist in the development of a residential subdivision for persons with long-term leases under Act 62.

The subdivision, if developed, is to be exempt from zoning, construction, subdivision and development standards of all statutes, ordinances, charter provisions and rules of any governmental agency, but is to meet minimum requirements of health and safety. OHA's lobbying efforts at the legislature during the session whieh ended Apr. 19 concentrated primarily on legislation affecting Hawaiians and beneficiaries of 5 (f) funds through ceded land revenues. Most of the measures were carry-over bills and resolutions from the 1983 session. OHA Trustees earlier decided to limit their 1984 legislative activities to these bills and to also put a eap on new legislation. In addition to the Milolii bill, there were two Senate concurrent resolutions and two House concurrent resolutions whieh were adopted by the respective bodies favoring Hawaiian causes. SCR 44 supports the recommendations of the Native Hawaiian Education Assessment Project (NHEAP) and SCR 51 deals with the development of Kahana Valley as a cultural live-in park. HCR 49 urges the United States to promptly negotiate for the return of Lualualei lands to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands and HR 370/ HCR 141 requests the recognition of surfing and polynesian canoeing as an 01ympic sport. Senate Bill 2025, whieh passed the Senate but died in the House Finance Committee, sought to amend Section 6 of the Hawaii Revised Statutes to incorporate the recommendations of the Historic Preservation Task Force. The activities, findings and recommendations of the Task Force were reported in the February issue of Ka Wai Ola and the committee, chaired by OHA Trustee Moses Keale, put in a tremendous amount of work in making its final recommendations for legislative action.

Bill Tagupa, OHA Culture Affairs Officer, put together an extensive report in booklet form and personally distributed them to the respective lawmakers. On another measure, the Kahana Valley Senate concurrent resolution calling for immediate action in establishing the park for its original purpose — a cultural living park -was adopted by both Houses. OHA Land Researcher Charles Hopkins also did extensive research on the matter and his findings were summed up in a story appearing in the March issue of Ka Wai Ola. Other Hawaiian-oriented measures or OH A-supported bills whieh passed were:

SENATE SR 32 — Requests an improvement of the Hawaiian Education program. SR 58/SCR 62— Requests a study of the public authority device for the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands. SR 77 — Requests the Board of Land and Natural Resources to lease the former Hale Mohalu site to an eleemosynary organization for youth athletic and recreational activities. OHA had recommended that a portion of the site be used for a Hansen's disease treatment center. SR 96 — Expressing eoneem regarding the use of Kaho'olawe as a shelling target by the Department oftheNavyand RIMPAC '84 participants. SR 108 — Requesting the reinstatement of sites to the Historic Register. SR 112 — Requesting community participation in the planning of historic parks and sites. SR 133 — Requesting the Board of Education to encourage the Department of Education to continue to promote the Hawaiian Studies Program in our public schools. SR 166/SCR 131 — Requesting a study on the feasibility of establishing nuclear free zones in the State of Hawaii. HOUSE HB 1571 — Amends the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act to permit DH H L to hire employees on contract for longer than six months.

HB 2192 — Amending the HHCA to enable DHHL to construct multi-family units for native Hawaiians, and to promulgate rules and regulations governing the terms, conditions, covenants and restrictions regarding the use and occupancy. HB 2193 — Amending the HHCA to allow DHHL to negotiate an agreement to provide for the maintenance of the water system and billing and collection of user fees. HB 2194 — Amending the HHCA to allow DHHL, upon the death of a lessee, to pay his spouse or children who are not qualified to be lessees, or to the legal representative of the deceased lessee, for the value of improvements to the homestead. This measure, if signed into law by the Governor, would invalidate a bill passed by the Legislature during the 1 983 session whieh is currently pending before Congress. This bill would allow descendants of Hawaiian Homes lessees with a 25 percent quantum of Hawaiian blood to succeed to the lease. HB 2195 — Amending the HHCA to enable all native Hawaiians or organizations formed or controlled by native Hawaiians access to licenses for lots whieh are leased to theatres, garages, service stations, markets, stores and other mercantile establishments. HR 353 — Urges Congress to reject Volume I of the Einal report of the Native Hawaiians Study Commission, and to adopt the findings and recommendations contained in Volume 11. Volume 11 is the "minority" report submitted by the Hawaii commissioners. HCR 74 — Opposing the establishment of a National Marine Sanctuary for the humpback whale. In addition to the Historic Preservation Task Force bill, another measure whieh died in the Senate Ways and Means Committee was SB 2067 whieh dealt with DHHL seeking an appropriation of $4.032 million from the Public Land Trust Fund to cover administrative and operating costs ofthe department. The complete log of 1984 legislation pursued or monitored by OHA is available for perusal at the OHA office.