Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 10, Number 6, 1 June 1993 — State passes landmark legislation for Hawaiians [ARTICLE]

State passes landmark legislation for Hawaiians

One step closer to sovereignty

by Jeff Clark It's taken 100 years but the process of returning Hawaiian self-determination has finally begun. In the final days of the 1993 session, the state Legislature reached a compromise on the two competing sovereignty bills and passed legislation establishing a Hawaiian Sovereignty Advisory Commission that would propose a process for bringing about Hawaiian sovereignty. The commission will make proposals to next year's Legislature for a Hawaiian convention and three elections: a,referendum on whether to convene a convention, election of delegates to the eonvention if the answer to the referendum is yes, and ratification of whatever document that convention produces.

The commission will review, and ean revise, the referendum question proposed in the bill, "Shall a Hawaiian convention be convened to propose an organic

aocument tor the governanee of a H a w a i i a n s o v e re i g n nation?" The referendum question will be asked of H a w a i i a n voters as part of the November 1994 general eleetion. The commission will ' also make recom-

mendations as to how delegates will be elected to the convention.

including candidate eligibility and district apportionment. Right now the time frame for the convention remains open. The delegates will "convene in a man-

ner ana at a time recommended by the commission and enacted by the 1994 Legislature," the bill reads. In addition, the commission, whieh will be assigned to the Office of State planning for administra-

tive purposes, will conduct educational activities for Hawaiian

voters as well as a voter registration drive. The governor must appoint 19 commissioners by Aug. 1. At

least 12 of the members will be nominated by Hawaiian organizations. That dozen must include nominees of the Office of

Hawaiian Affairs, Ka Lāhui Hawai'i, the State Oouneil of Hawaiian Homestead Associations, and the Association of

Hawaiian Civic Clubs. The eommission must have at least one member representing eaeh of the isfands of O'ahu, Hawai'i, Maui, continued on page 4

"We are pleased that the legislators remained committed to ensuring open and democratic participation for all Hawaiians, despite the many pressures they faced from groups having different agenda." - Clāyton Hee, chairman, OHA board of trustees

Nominations sought for sovereignty advisory commission

The first step in nominating individuals to the Hawaiian Sovereignty Advisory Commission began last month with the mailing of solicitation Jetters to Hawaiian organizations, The commission wiil advise the state Legisiature on holding a convention to determine an organic document for governance of a sovereign Hawaiian nahon. Over 122 organizations were sent a lettcr asking for nominations hy July 12, 1993. Gov. John Waihe'e. wili appoini at ieast 12 of the 19 of the comrotssion members from the Jist of nominees by Aug. I, 1993. Organizations who have not received a nominalion paekel are asked ro eall the Office of State Planning at 587-2844.

Sovereignty

continued from page 1 Kaua'i and Ni'ihau, and Moloka'i and Lāna'i. Commissioners who want to be delegates to the convention eannot take part in deciding apportionment. The commissioners won't be paid but will be eompensated for travel and other expenses. The govemor ean convene an interagency task force to support the needs of the commission, and the commission ean also establish a kūpuna eouneil to provide advice and support. Funding for the bill, $420,000, is matched general and special funds from the OHA 5(f) ceded land trust. Clayton Hee, chairman of OHA's Board of Trustees, said, "We are pleased that the legisla-

tors remained committed to ensuring open and democratic participation for all Hawaiians, despite the many pressures they faced from groups having different agenda." Said Kīna'u«Boyd Kamali'i, chair of OHA's Land and Sovereignty Committee, "Although the legislation ... differs substantially from the bill we first introduced, we feel it is a tremendous step forward toward self-determination for the Hawaiian people. It is especially gratifying to have this legislation eome up in 1993, the centennial of the illegal overthrow of the Hawaiian nation. It begins to answer to the eall for justice our people voiced in January." The bill went to a floor vote

May 3, the last day of the session. During the previous week, legislators attempted to mesh bills supported by OHA and Ka Lāhui Hawai'i in conference committee.

OHA govemment affairs officer Donald Scott Bowman III said, "For Hawaiians, this was probably the most important legislative session ever held. Passage of the bill puts into motion the first steps toward the creation of a Hawaiian nation. But next year's session will be even more important. "The Legislature is not going to solve any of the problems facing Hawaiians today. They're willing to take steps to implement the desires of the Hawaiian people, but they're not going to step in and make the decisions for Hawaiians - the Hawaiians have to make the decisions themselves. By 10 a.m. Wednesday, January 19, 1994 (the session's official

start), we'd be.tter have our act together and be ready to roll. We need to provide a united front." Mililani Trask, Ka Lāhui Hawai'i kia'āina (governor), was less enthusiastic. During a joint House and Senate hearing.held April 25, she called for both bills to be killed. "Ka Lāhui Hawai'i will not accept a state-controlled process, a state-dictated process, a state-created nation with no land," she said, adding that the native Hawaiians have to be allowed to define the process as mueh as possible. Ka Lāhui Hawai'i introduced SB 1028, also known as the Loa'a Ka Pono bill, and the final compromise includes many key features of this bill.

"We feel it is a tremendous step forward toward selfdetermination for the Hawaiian people. ... It begins to answer to the eall for justice our people voiced in January." Kīna'u Kamali'i