Akaka Bill
vote stalls

The Senate majority leader
postpones a motion because
of Hurricane Katrina

WASHINGTON » 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. Gov. Linda Lingle, who flew to Washington for two days of lobbying on the Akaka Bill, said the change in plans was understandable.

"It is just too early to say what this will mean for the bill," Lingle said.

Akaka said he found out about Frist's decision to drop the cloture vote when he returned to Washington from Honolulu yesterday.

"I thought, 'Here we go again,'" Akaka said, referring to the repeated delays the bill has had.

Akaka has been lobbying the measure for five years, and this summer's action is as close as he has come to getting it passed out of the Senate.

"I would like to get it on the calendar as soon as possible," Akaka said.

Although Akaka has yet to talk personally with the Republican Senate leader, Akaka said he plans to meet with him today.

"Perhaps we can do it in a few weeks or at least by October," Akaka said.

In a statement, Office of Hawaiian Affairs officials said they understood the request to delay the vote.

"OHA fully recognizes the United States Senate should, on its first day back from its summer recess, focus on the catastrophic events on the Gulf Coast. We believe every government priority should be given to victims of Hurricane Katrina," said Haunani Apoliona, OHA's Board of Trustees chairwoman.

"We remain hopeful that Senate Bill 147 (the Akaka Bill) will be heard as soon as Congress addresses the immediate issues triggered by Hurricane Katrina."