Inouye sees Hawaiian bill delay

By Kevin Dayton
Advertiser Capitol Bureau Chief

The bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka to provide federal recognition for Native Hawaiians likely will not pass this year, meaning supporters will have to start over next year, U.S. Sen Dan Inouye said yesterday.

Sen. Daniel Inouye yesterday discussed legislation and the upcoming election in a meeting at The Advertiser offices. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

"The Akaka bill I don't suppose will move this year," Inouye said in a meeting with Advertiser editors and reporters yesterday. "This is going to be a messy time with all kinds of other problems, health, prescription drugs, terrorism, and no matter how much we feel that this is an important measure, it will not meet the criteria of congressional leadership that it's important enough to bring it up at this point."

Most members of Congress will be eager to return to their home districts by early October to prepare for the elections, and Inouye said congressional leaders will refuse to consider anything that could take up time or hold up the proceedings.

The bill, co-sponsored by Inouye, would allow the creation of a Native Hawaiian government similar to those of American Indian tribes.

The measure is seen in part as a potential legal shield for federally financed programs that serve Native Hawaiians, protecting them from lawsuits alleging the programs amount to illegal race-based preferences.

The measure was approved by a House committee in May 2001 and a Senate committee in July 2001, and members of the Hawai'i congressional delegation have said there is enough support in the House and Senate to pass the measure, but Republicans in the House and Senate blocked further action on the bill.

U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, Lt. Gov. Mazie Hirono and others have suggested the stalled bill will be an issue in the governor's race this year. Abercrombie in particular has criticized Republican gubernatorial front-runner Linda Lingle for failing to convince her fellow Republicans in the Congress to support it.

Lingle, meanwhile, has said she will highlight the Democrats' failure to win passage of the Akaka bill. Hawai'i has no Republicans in its congressional delegation, which Lingle said has isolated the state from the Republican-controlled White House. She said it would be helpful to have her elected as governor.

With legal cases pending that challenge programs to benefit Hawaiians, Inouye said "we'll have to cross our fingers and hope and begin working as much as we can. In the meantime, be ready to move and get a running start in January."

"An important ingredient in this whole thing is whether the Native Hawaiians can get together, because you will find that people who oppose propositions usually use conflicting views, one against the other, and here in Hawai'i we provide them with all they want," Inouye said. "So, I would hope they get their act together. I tried."

On other matters, Inouye said he expects a Democrat will win the election for governor, but acknowledged his party has problems.

Inouye said "there is no question" that because of the Campaign Spending Commission investigations, "fund-raising has come to a halt. People are reluctant to solicit or give, which I think is very unfortunate."

Inouye said one bright spot on the campaign finance front has been the Democratic coordinated campaign, which he said has raised about $500,000 since March that will be used to help Democratic candidates.

Inouye said the Democratic Party is "a bit confused," but he suggested that news accounts that the party is in a shambles have overstated the problems.

"After you've been pounded for a while, you begin to believe that," Inouye said. "My job, that's what I call it, is to begin to undo that. It is not that bad. Are we gonna roll over and play dead, or are we going to do something about this? We have a good story to tell."

For instance, Inouye said Hawai'i has the safest streets in the United States, a lower crime rate than any comparable city or state, and an educational system that is improving, especially in the area of special education.

"From past experience, if my recollection is correct, at this stage our front-runners were always behind the Republican candidate," Inouye said. "In the last election, Cayetano was at this stage, about 30 points behind. We don't have anyone that far back."

"We've had this type of heated contest. I am not completely disillusioned," Inouye said. "We'll overcome. It's a question of can the (gubernatorial) candidates conduct themselves in a professional and civilized manner. If they start throwing bricks and stones at each other and spitting on each other, then we're in deep trouble."

Reach Kevin Dayton at kdayton@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8070.