Rep. Hermina Morita, D-14th District, on Wednesday joined fellow legislators of the Native Hawaiian Caucus in a press conference to support a moratorium on the sale of ceded lands (House Bill 1667). Last year the Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruled in
Rep. Hermina Morita, D-14th District, on Wednesday joined fellow legislators of the Native Hawaiian Caucus in a press conference to support a moratorium on the sale of ceded lands (House Bill 1667).
Last year the Hawai‘i Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs barring the sale of Hawaiian ceded lands by the state until Native Hawaiian claims are resolved.
The Lingle administration is appealing this state decision before the U.S. Supreme Court, which is scheduled to be heard on Feb. 25.
The Native Hawaiian Caucus voted 17-1 in support of the moratorium and is urging the public to lobby for its passage.
“Although I was not there for the vote, I strongly believe that this is a matter of state policy and should not have been appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court by the Lingle administration,” said Morita.
“It’s time to stick the O‘o in the ground and get to work,” state Sen. Clayton Hee said.
Although the House and Senate majorities have yet to take formal positions on the moratorium, Senate President Colleen Hanabusa said quick action by the Legislature is necessary to persuade the governor to stop the appeal before the Supreme Court.
The Senate bill would require both houses to approve any sale or transfer of ceded lands by a two-thirds majority vote.
The Hawaiian Caucus unveiled other bills at its press conference, including HB 1663, which relates to taro security. The caucus hopes to pass this bill to prohibit the development, testing, propagation, release, importation, planting, or growing of genetically modified taro in Hawai‘i.
HB 1663 says “kalo intrinsically embodies the interdependency of the past, the present, and the future, the essence of procreation and regeneration, as the foundation of any sustainable practice. Kalo expresses the spiritual and physical well-being of not only the kanaka maoli and their heritage, but also symbolizes the environmental, social, and cultural values important to the state.”
“The proponents of using GMO techniques cannot guarantee that non-GMO taro will not be affected, nor are they supportive of the labeling of GMO products,” Morita said. “Consumers should have a right to know what they are eating and the right to reject these kinds of products with their pocketbooks. Until these kinds of liability or disclosure issues are resolved, I will always vote on the side of caution.”
Morita’s office can be reached at repmorita1@hawaii.capitol.gov or toll free from Kaua‘i at 274-3141 then dial 68435#. For footage of the press conference, search YouTube for JGinRepMoritasoffice.
