Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 13, Number 8, 1 August 1996 — Governor supports DHHL transfer, rejects Maunalaha exemptions [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Governor supports DHHL transfer, rejects Maunalaha exemptions

The following is a list of measures whieh eoneem Hawaiians that were signed or \etoed by Governor Cayetano as of June 21,1996:

Signed by governor HB 3300 - Relating to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Budget. Description: Office of Hawaiian Affairs Supplemental Appropriations Act of 1996. Reduces general fund appropriations for OHA by amending the hiennial budget (Act 19, Session Laws of Hawai'i 1995) by decreasing general funds for personnel positions from fifty percent to twenty-five percent and by deleting the general fund appropriation for OHA travel; and changes the designation of the means financing of appropriated items from "special funds" to "tmst funds." Status: Signed by the govemor on June 17, 1996 as Act 16, 1996.

HB 3453 - Relating to Housing. Description: Increases the amount of DHHL loan guarantees for housing programs from $21 million to $50 million Status: Signed by the govemor on

June 18, 1996 as Act 232, 1996. HB 3603 - Relating to the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Description: Requires that all properties acquired by OHA be controlled and managed for the purposes of the offīce and subject to any limitation of the tmst provisions established by Article 12, section 4, 5 and 6 of the state's constitution (OHA Sponsored Bill). Status: Signed by the govemor on June 18, 1996 as Act 240, 1996. HB 4063 - Relating to higher education. Description: Establishes a Hawaiian language task force whose goal is to make recommendations and devise a plan for the creation of a Hawaiian language college at UH-Hilo. Report must be submitted to the University of Hawai'i Board of Regents and the Office of Hawaiian Affairs Board of Tmstees for approval and to the Legislature no later than 20 days

prior to the beginning of the 1997 regular session. Status: Signed by the govemor on June 18, 1996 as Act 254, 1996. HB 4074 - Relating to land

exchange. Description: Authorizes the State to negotiate a land exchange involving George Galbraith Estate lands north of Wahiawā, O'ahu, for public lands. Status: Signed by the govemor on June 18, 1996 as Act 255, 1996. SB 1,738 - Relating to CommunityBased Eeonomie Development. Description : Supports the Com-munity-Based E e o n o m i e Develpment programs (CBED) by (1) clarifying CBED program definitions and functions; (2) differentiating the Hawai'i CBED program from other programs that

are !abeled eommu-nity-based;" (3) providing additional financing mechanisms to ensure continued success of the CBED program; and (4) increasing the number of CBED

Advisory Council members to 12 members to include the Chairperson of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Status: Signed by the governor on June 17, 1996 as Act 192, 19%. SB 2144 - Relating to Conservation Easements. Description: Amends the definition of a "conservation ease-

ment" to include: (1) the preservation and protection of the structural integrity and physical appearance of cultural landscapes, resources and sites whieh perpetuate indigenous culture; and (2) the preservation and protection of historic properties and traditional and family cemeteries. Status: Signed by the governor on June 17, 1996 as Act 194, 1996.

A home in Maunalaha Valiey in need of major repair. Governor Ben Cayetano has vetoed a bill that would have exempted the Maunalaha subdivision from ail state and county subdivision standards and would have allowed valley residents to fix their homes. The bill — whieh was sponsored by OHA — was introduced in response to resident concerns that their housing conditions were deteriorating but that they were unable to carry out repairs because of the area's substandard infrastructure. Financial institutions would not offer ioans under such conditions. OHA is hoping to help valley residents build self-help housing and need the exemptions to carry this out. OHA Housing Officer Steve Morse says the decision to veto the blll will have an adverse affect on OHA's efforts. The governor expressed eoneem that exempting the valley would make lt difficult for the state to guarantee safety. Morse responds that if the state is concemed about safety it should invest the money needed to put in the necessary infrastructure.