Democrats Unveil Yet Another Rewrite of Native Hawaiian Recognition Bill 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A day before the House of Representatives is expected to vote on the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009, House Democrats have released yet another eleventh hour version of the bill. 

Even though the House Rules Committee will take up this bill tonight at 5 pm and the full House may vote on the bill as soon as tomorrow, Natural Resources Committee Republicans are believed to be the only entity providing the public with the new legislative language as it is currently unavailable on the majority’s House Rules Committee website and Natural Resources Committee website. 

Click here to read the latest rewrite of the Akaka bill as of February 22, 2010.

# # #

UPDATE:

HFP:  Rules Committee: Abercrombie’s latest version of Akaka Bill to face full House vote

Advertiser posts this version at 11:10AM HST (50 mins before hearing)

Star-Bulletin posts this version at 11:37AM HST (23 mins before hearing)

EDITOR’s NOTE:

Hawai`i Free Press has quickly scanned to compare this FOURTH version of the Akaka Bill to the THIRD version of the Akaka Bill which Abercrombie turned over to House Republicans on Friday Feb 19. 

It appears that the FOURTH version removes 9(c)(3)(H)(iv) from page 51.  This paragraph had granted immunity from civil prosecution to officials of the “Native Hawaiian Governing Entity.”  It read:

(iv) An officer or employee of the Native Hawaiian governing entity shall be subject to suit for injunctive or declatory relief to the same extent that Indian tribal officers and employees are subject to analogous suits.

We will study the FOURTH version looking for further changes. 

As usual, this version is available SOLELY because House Republicans have made it available.  Hawaii’s so-called “Representatives” have done nothing to make this bill available to the public. 

Copy of THIRD version available for comparison>>>HERE