Posted on: Thursday, June 21, 2001

Island Voices
Here's why state GOP supports Akaka Bill

By Brian Durham
Member of the Hawai'i Republican Party Platform Committee

Walter Heen, a former chairman of the state Democratic Party, has criticized the recent vote by the Republican Party to support the Native Hawaiian Recognition Act, which is pending in Congress.

For the past two years, I have been a member of the Hawai'i Republican Party Platform Committee, and drafted the resolution supporting Native Hawaiian self-determination adopted by our convention this year. I find it ironic to have a Democrat complaining about a Republican position. The Democrats have had more than 40 years to address this issue and there is still a "broken trust" regarding Hawaiian Homelands, with thousands of eligible Hawaiians still on the waiting list.

The platform we adopted in 2000 endorsed self-determination by Native Hawaiians — we think it is a decision for them to make. Subsequent to our adopting a platform, the Rice vs. Cayetano decision led Sen. Dan Akaka to submit a bill providing for federal recognition of a Native Hawaiian governing entity.

Some Republican senators had concerns with the bill — which is precisely why our state Republican Party examined the issue and passed a resolution supporting the bill. We wanted the Hawai'i Republican Party on record with our fellow Republicans in Congress and the White House saying that we think Akaka's bill is consistent with our party platform and that we support Native Hawaiian self-determination.

The public should compare the Republican Party's open and frank discussion and vote on this resolution with how the Hawai'i Legislature does business. No one person in the Republican Party gets to veto something.

Judge Heen should be ashamed to raise the issue of Theodore Olsen's nomination to be solicitor general and represent the United States before the U.S. Supreme Court. First, Ted Olsen won the Rice case — it turns out he had a better understanding of the Supreme Court's position on the 15th Amendment and voting rights than did the lower federal courts. What better experience could there be?

But more importantly, Heen knows that attorneys often represent controversial clients or positions.

Hawai'i's Republicans look forward to a Republican Congress passing the Native Hawaiian Recognition Act and having it signed into law by President Bush.