I am very grateful to Sen. McCain, chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, as well as the committee's other members for passing SB147, the Native Hawaiian Government Reorganization Act of 2005, out of their committee this Wednesday, unanimously without objection.
As I testified last week before their committee, this bill would bring equal treatment to the Native Hawaiian people. It is vital to the survival of our host culture, it is vital to providing parity in federal policy for all native peoples in America, and it is vital to the continued character of the state of Hawaii.
The collaborative effort on behalf of this legislation has been a unifying force in our state.
It is supported by every elected official of both major political parties, it is supported by people of all ethnic backgrounds, and it is supported by the state's business community, including the state’s two largest banks.
This bill also has the support of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement, Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs, the Japanese American Citizens League, and many other organizations in our state and around the nation.
While the committee's passage this morning of SB147 is historic, we still have a long road to travel. I now look forward to the next step when the bill comes to the Senate floor for a vote led by our Congressional delegation.
Linda Lingle, a Republican, is the governor of the state of Hawaii.
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