A vote scheduled for today on whether the Akaka bill will get a full airing on the Senate floor has been postponed indefinitely as Congress focuses on the needs of Gulf Coast residents in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Senate action on a native Hawaiian sovereignty bill has been postponed while the Senate works on emergency legislation to help victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Today was supposed to be the day that the Senate would take up S. 147, the so-called Akaka Bill, which would start the process of giving native Hawaiians a formal separate entity to negotiate with the state and federal government.

But just 24 hours before the vote on cloture, a motion to stop debate, was to be taken, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn, told Hawaii Sen. Daniel Akaka that he was pulling the motion from the calendar.

Donalyn Dela Cruz, Akaka's press secretary, said Frist made the decision because of the need to deal quickly with relief measures and other legislation needed in the wake of the devastating Gulf Coast hurricane. Dela Cruz said the senate leader has the power to drop or add items to the daily Senate calendar.

Dela Cruz said it was not known when the Akaka Bill would be taken up by the Senate. [...] "Perhaps we can do it in a few weeks or at least by October," Akaka said.

...labor leaders representing more than 100,000 members statewide gathered at 'Iolani Palace to show their support for the bill's passage.

Participants included members of the state AFL-CIO, ILWU Local 142, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hawaii State Teachers Association and Hawaii Carpenters Union.