Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 3, 1 March 1996 — OHA's trust share targeted at Legislature [ARTICLE]

OHA's trust share targeted at Legislature

by Patrick Johnston The fight over the future of OHA's share of ceded lands revenue got underway last month with key legislators and the governor's office introducing bills to suspend, reduce, or redefine moneys received by the Hawaiian agency. In February's Ka Wai Ola was a report on OHA's attempt to head off a legislative

battle by offering to loan the state OHA's share of ceded lands revenue for five years. House finance committee Chairman Calvin Say responded by introducing House Bill 2707, legislation that would amend section 10-1.5 of Hawai'i Revised Statutes to suspend OHA's 20 percent share of ceded lands revenue for five years beginning July 1. When all losses — cuts in ceded lands

payments and reduction in investment gains — were factored in, the Say bill could have meant over a $200 million reduction in the OHA trust over five years. Say's bill was never heard and at this point is technically dead. However, shortly after the introduction of H.B. 2707, the governor's office introduced what is potentially even more damaging legislation. S.B. 2867 would redefine the ineome that is

presently coming to OHA and limit the revenue OHA receives from ceded lands that have benefitted from capital improvement projects. The bill opens up the possibility for the state to strike at the core of the revenues now reaching OHA. Other legislation includes a bill to reevaluate OHA's biennium budget, this despite the fact that OHA did not submit a supplemental budget for 1997. OHA

trustees believe this may be an attempt to reduce the amount of general state funds OHA receives to levels below those already approved by the Legislature. In an attempt to gather Hawaiian forces against the proposed legislation, OHA invited over 70 individuals from organizations across the state for a meeting in

Honolulu February 13. At the meeting OHA staff and trustees spelled out the problem and asked those present to go out to their communities and gather support for the agency's efforts.

Senate bill 2867 opens up the possibility for the state to strike at the core of the revenues now reaching OHA.

Trustees stressed that the state had an obligation based on its own laws — and on past injustices incurred by Hawaiians — to honor its fiduciary responsibility to OHA. If the revenue-cutting legislation passed, they pointed out, the real losers would be the Hawaiian people, the beneficiaries of ~ the OHA trust. Legislation is always changing so it is important to note that the bills mentioned may not be alive when beneficiaries receive the paper. However, they might be, and the language from dead bills may be resurrected in other legislation. It is critical that Hawaiians be aware of what is happening at the Legislature and urge legislators tadefeat legislation that would hurt Hawaiian trust entitlements. (Editor's note : See future issues of Ka Wai Ola O OHA for an update on legislation affecting OHA and Hawaiian programs.)