UPDATE: Senate Committee to consider Akaka Bill Thursday

Hawai'i Free Press

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

UPDATE: Senate Committee to consider Akaka Bill Thursday
By Andrew Walden @ 2:34 PM :: 15423 Views :: Energy, Environment, National News, Ethics

by Andrew Walden

WATCH HEARING: http://www.senate.gov/fplayers/I2009/urlPlayer.cfm?fn=indian080609&st=1501&dur=10074

The Senate Committee on Indian Affairs will conduct a hearing on S. 1011, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2009. The hearing is scheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2009 at 2:15 PM (EST) which is 8:15AM Hawai`i Time and will be held in the Dirksen Senate Office Building room 628. The hearing will be live webcast.

Among the committee members, John McCain has stated his opposition to the Akaka Bill. LINK: Despite a 'Yes' Vote on Cloture, I am Unequivocally Opposed to the Akaka Bill

Several other committee members have previously co-sponsored earlier versions of the Akaka Bill.

The Office of Hawaiian Affairs earlier this year torpedoed consideration of the House version of the Akaka Bill by demanding amendments intended to ensure that individual activists would be able to continue attempting to seize private property. This could be a key question in the Senate committee hearing--will OHA demand similar amendments? Update: Names of testifiers have been posted on the Committee website.

Senator Byron Dorgan (D-North Dakota), is committee chair. MN Democrat Al Franken is the newest member.

TESTIFYING:

Panel 1
THE HONORABLE SAM HIRSCH
Deputy Associate Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC (Joined DoJ under Obama, his testimony should be a clear expression of an Obama-era US DoJ opinion on the Akaka Bill.)

Panel 2
THE HONORABLE HAUNANI APOLIONA (Will OHA's demands for amendments once again torpedo the Akaka Bill???)
Chair, Board of Trustees, Office of Hawaiian Affairs

PROFESSOR STUART M. BENJAMIN (Opponent of Akaka Bill)
Douglas B. Maggs Professor of Law, Associate Dean for Research, Duke Law School, Durham, NC

THE HONORABLE MICAH A. KANE
Chairman, Hawaiian Homes Commission, Honolulu, HI

MR. H. CHRISTOPHER BARTOLOMUCCI (Backs OHA's position on legality of Akaka Bill)
Partner, Hogan & Hartson LLP, Washington, DC

MS ROBIN PUANANI DANNER
President & CEO, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Honolulu, HI