Honolulu. Among the bills relating to native Hawaiians that passed Third Reading in the House today were bills pertaining to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs and Hawaiian fishponds.
In February, Rep. Mele Carroll travelled to hear testimony in Moloka‘i, Maui, Kona, Hilo, and Kaua‘i on House Bill 901 HD2. The bill, which passed the House with one no vote, allows the State to make progress toward meeting part of its constitutional obligation to Native Hawaiians by addressing the additional amount of income and proceeds that the Office of Hawaiian Affairs is to receive from the public trust pursuant to article XII, sections 4 and 6, of the Hawai‘i Constitution, for the period from November 7, 1978, to July 1, 2008.
“This is a 30 year fight that we want to address today,” Rep. Mele Carroll said of HB901 HD2.
HB899, which clarifies and strengthens OHA’s bond authority, passed Third Reading in the House with none voting no. The bill addresses revenue bond provisions of chapter 10, Hawai‘i Revised Statutes, which have not been updated since their enactment in 1978, to better reflect current government bond practices to ensure that OHA has maximum independence in issuing bonds. Although OHA has never issued revenue bonds in the past, current state and national economies have created a renewed impetus for OHA to seek alternative sources of funding for its projects.
HB1665 HD1, which prohibits the sale of public lands on which government-owned Hawaiian fishponds are located, passed the House unanimously. The current law allows for the state to investigate and develop scientific commercial management practices for government-owned Hawaiian fishponds and reconstruct, rehabilitate, improve and stock the fishponds. The bill would amend the law to also say that the State “may not sell public land on which government-owned Hawaiian fishponds are located.”
Representative Mele Carroll 