Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 9, Number 6, 1 June 1992 — Actions of 16th legislature on state issues [ARTICLE]

Actions of 16th legislature on state issues

by Deborah L. Ward Following is a digest of measures supported by the Office of Hawaiian Affairs whieh passed in the 16th legislative session of the Hawai'i Legislature: • Anniversary of Overthrow. Appropriation to mark the 100th anniversary of the overthrow of Queen Lili'uokalani and to discuss issues of Hawaiian sovereignty. Establishes a 15-member commission appointed by the governor to plan and sponsor educational activities on the weekend of Jan. 17, 1993; provides $90,000 for planning and implementation of commemorative events: $25,000 for the island of Hawai'i; $25,000 for Kaua'i; $25,000 for Maui; and $15,000 for Moloka'i. • Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Bill amends Chapter 12, Hawai'i Revised Statutes concerning OHA, to provide revenue from the public land trust generated by the Housing Finance and Development Corporation's development at Kealakehe and Lahaina. Land will be assessed at its highest and best use in the case of these two developments. • Hawaiian Home Lands. Appropriates $12 million in compensation to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands for the state's uncompensated use of DHHL lands since Aug. 21, 1959 (statehood); Allows the state to use certain Hawaiian Home Lands, and conveys state lands to DHHL; appropriates $925,000 to DHHL as its 30 percent share of revenues from public lands at Honokowai formerly under sugarcane cultivation; provides $650,000 for preparation of a remaining claims package for the 1993 legislature; provides $350,000 to the attorney general's office to pursue trust claims against the federal government; provides $13.8 million investment capital to HHL for the development of Hawaiian home lands for residential and agricultural infrastructure and other purposes. • Hawaiian language. Provides for use of macrons and glottal stops in Hawaiian words used in government documents.

• belf-help home loans on Hawai ī. Appropriation to DHHL for low-interest loans for self-help home construction on Hawai'i at Panaewa and Keaukaha, thus expanding the project launched last year. • OHA supplemental budget. Amends Act 301, Session Laws of Hawai'i, 1991 by adding sections to: provide that OHA

submit a report on the accomplishments of the Native Hawaiian Legal Corporation to the 1993 legislature; report on all personnel travel; provide $60,000 for the Wai'anae diet program in Waimanalo; provide funds for evolution of OHA programs; provide $150,000 for a centennial observance of the overthrow of the Hawaiian kingdom; repeal the section on the Sovereignty Advisory Council; provide funds for eeonomie development training and startup financing; provide funds for establishment of an early education program in coordination with the state Department of Education and Kamehameha Schools/Bishop Estate. • Veterans' war memorial Allows use of the state Capitol grounds as a building site with restrictions on height; period of time to create a final design; establishes a review board; and makes other detailed, technieal limitations.(OHA supported the original version, but opposed the final draft.) • State monuments. Establishes a Kohala Historic Sites state monument including the Mahukona sites, providing the state acquires sufficient land to buffer the site. These resolutions, supported by OHA, passed in the legislature: • Urging the Fresident and Congress of the United States to honor and fulfill the federal trust obligations to Native Hawaiians. • SCR 228: Requesting the Governor to start legal proceedings against the United States of America and solicit a Congressional investigation concerning trust obligations of the USA to the inhabitants of Hawai'i generally and to Native Hawaiians particularly. • SCR 138: Commending the Hui 'Imi Task Force and urging the implementation of its recommendations. • Senate Resolution 190: Requesting establishment of an ad hoe panel to examine issues relating to Hawaiian entitlement. • HCR 219: Requesting that the Hawaiian Homes Commission anel the National Parks Service quickly resolve their dispute over the lease of land in the Kalaupapa settlement and ensure the continuity of services to settlement residents. • HCR 260/HR 270: Urging the legislature to fulfill the 1992 recommendations of the Hui 'Imi Task Force report. • HCR 262/HR 272: Requesting the

Governor to ensure that adequate staff and resources are provided in the Office of Hawaiian Health within the Department of Health for statewide coordination and direction of health services that are culturally appropriate to the Native Hawaiian community. • HR 296: Encouraging multi-agency cooperation to preserve and revitalize the Nu'upia fishponds at Kane'ohe Bay. • HCR 300: Recognizing breaches of trust responsibility between the state of Hawai'i and the Hawaiian people and extending a formal apology. • HCR 302/HR 306: Requesting establishment of an ad hoe panel to examine issues relating to Hawaiian entitlements. • HCR 361 / HR 358: Requesting the Department of Education to review its policies and practices and report on its current efforts and recommendations to improve the delivery of programs and services to Native Hawaiian children and children of other under-represented ethnic groups who are gifted and talented. Supplemental Budget The Office of Hawaiian Affairs has received a total of $353,250 supplemental funding for fiseal year 1992-1993 from the state legislature. OHA requested $4.6 million for increased costs of existing programs and for new or expanded programs, but has only received 7.7 percent of its supplemental request. The addition of the supplemental funds will bring OHA's funded budget for the 1992-1993 fiscal year (starting July 1. 1993) to $7.2 million. The supplemental budget includes: • $200,000 for the Wai'anae Diet program • $154,144 to establish an early education center with the DOE and KS/BE • $21,548 for a parent literacy program • $200,000 for tutorial programs • $63,000 for self-help housing programs • $14,820 for trustee compensation and travel • $150,000 for the centennial observance of the overthrow of the Hawaiian monarchy, to be matched dollar for dollar by private funds. The OHA FY 92-93 budget reflects a 7 percent across the board cut whieh was required by the legislature due to a revenue shortfall. This report was prepared with the assistance of the OHA gouernment affairs diuision and the OHA Iand and natural resources diuision.