Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 6, 1 June 1996 — lssues unresolved as '96 session comes to a close [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

lssues unresolved as '96 session comes to a close

A turbulent 1996 legislative session eame to a close Apiil 30 with important gains made for the Hawaiian community but with some critical issues left unresolved. "This year's session was the most difficult OHA

has ever faced," says OHA Government Affairs Officer Scotty Bowman He points out this was the result of a num-

ber of factors. These include: • the fiscal condition of the state; • a laek of understanding on the part of legislators relating to the trust obligation the state has to native Hawaiians and; • misinformation provided to legislators about OHA operations. Most of the attention this year focused on attempts by legislators and the govemor to cut OHA's share of ceded lands revenue. SB 1698

HD 3 — the legislation designed to do this - never got through the Senate, but the issue is far from dead. Shortly after the session ended, the governor released an opinion by the U.S. Department of Transportation

lnspector General arguing that the money OHA receives from airport revenues violates federal law. If nothing is

resolved this year OHA trustees believe similar legislation will be introduced in the 1997 session. Other important legislation affecting Hawaiians While most attention was focused elsewhere, the Senate and House quietly passed a bill that cut the state portion of OHA's budget by nearly

$1 million - a 25 percent decrease. The cuts affect payroll and travel. On the positive side, Eowman says the Legislature passed a number of bills that should have a beneficial effect on the Hawaiian community. These included housing help for Maunalaha Valley and Kalapana residents, support for the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Oouneil, postive changes to laws regarding land owned by OHA, and important eommunity based eeonomie development legislation. (See below.) "Despite difficulties, we were able to pass various measures whieh were important for Hawaiians." Bowman, however, is not optimistic about the future. "We don't believe the fiscal condition of the state will improve next year. And because it is the first year of the 1997-99 hiennium budget, next year will be a hard one for Hawaiian issues."

Protesters at the first of two rallies held last April opposing the governors efforts to cut OHA's share of ceded lands revenue. Photo by Patrick Johnston