Lt. Gov. James “;Duke”; Aiona, breaking with a well-publicized position of Gov. Linda Lingle, announced yesterday his support for the current version of federal legislation to establish a governing entity for native Hawaiians.

Aiona, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor later this year, released a statement citing reservations about how the bill would confer sovereign immunity to the native Hawaiian entity and define who can be classified a native Hawaiian.

Congress should address those issues rather than face protracted court fights later, he added.

“;However, I continue to support the long-standing opinion among the citizens of our state that federal recognition of a native Hawaiian governing entity is pono (correct), and must move forward for Hawaii to resolve its differences and reach its full potential.”;

Aiona, who is part Hawaiian, did not clearly state whether he would continue to support the measure if Congress does not amend it to his liking. But spokesman Travis Taylor said the lieutenant governor would.

Aiona was not available to elaborate.

The position differs with Lingle's. The governor has long backed federal recognition of native Hawaiians and previous versions of the measure, which is known as the Akaka Bill after its chief sponsor, U.S. Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii.

But in recent months, Lingle has publicly opposed the newest version. In a letter sent Wednesday to all 100 U.S. senators, she urged them to reject the measure because it immediately vests a native Hawaiian governing entity with ill-defined authority instead of allowing those powers to be negotiated between the entity and federal and state governments.

Moreover, the bill exempts the entity from state criminal, public health, child safety and environmental laws, and local building and traffic safety ordinances, she contended.

In response to Aiona's announced support for the Akaka Bill, Lingle issued a noncommittal statement but then withdrew it. Her office then said she would decline comment on the matter.

Lingle and Aiona have rarely voiced diverging opinions on major issues in public.

However, Aiona's political aides have long been aware that the lieutenant governor needs to clearly define himself apart from Lingle. He is favored to win the GOP gubernatorial nomination in September, but he faces a difficult race against either of the two potential Democratic nominees: former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie or Mayor Mufi Hannemann.

John Carroll, a Honolulu lawyer who opposes the bill, claimed Aiona was trying to take a “;politically correct position”; that might win favor among native Hawaiians. Carroll also is seeking the GOP gubernatorial nomination.