Civil rights committee Akaka bill hearings criticized


Advertiser article and Star-Bulletin article about the Hawaii Advisory Committee to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission hearings on the Akaka bill, with criticism against the rushed hearings and the stacking of the committee membership. Update: KITV coverage.

"The commission's staff in Washington, D.C., had urged the Hawai'i advisory committee to schedule the public briefings, and had contacted expert panelists and set in motion the public notice requirements, before committee members had agreed." And despite the fact that "the commission has no plans to reconsider its opposition to a Native Hawaiian federal recognition bill before the bill is expected to come before Congress later this year."

There is "a letter from the congressional delegation to the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, protesting the composition of the Hawaii committee," and describing the briefings as "highly irregular and counter-productive." While OHA's chair Apoliona says the federal commission is shaping the local committee "to further promote a biased agenda against the aboriginal, indigenous, native people of Hawaii by aiding and abetting litigants who seek to end native Hawaiian programs."

Meanwhile, "Some Native Hawaiians who want more independence — and those who want the restoration of the Hawaiian kingdom — oppose the bill as capitulation."

Public briefings are planned for tomorrow on Maui, Sept. 7 on Kaua'i, Sept. 10 on the Big Island and a newly scheduled Sept. 12 meeting on O'ahu.

Here's the details on the Maui hearing:

Date: Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Time: 3:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Location: Science Building, Room 10A
Maui Community College
310 Ka'ahumanu, Kahului, Hawaii

To get on the list of testifiers ahead of time, call Angie Trevino, USCCR's Western Regional Office, (213) 894-3437 [TDY] 213-894-3435 or email atrevino@usccr.gov.  Otherwise members of the public can sign in at the meeting and give testimony in chronological order.

Written comments must be received by the Western Regional Office by September 1, 2007.  The address is:

U.S. Commission on Civil Rights
Western Regional Office
300 North Los Angeles Street, Suite 2010
Los Angeles, CA 90012


Posted: Tue - August 21, 2007 at 03:00 AM    
   
 
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Published On: Aug 21, 2007 10:04 PM
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