Senate committee advises and consents to multiple Hawaiian Homes and burial‑council nominees

The Senate Committee on Hawaiian Affairs voted to advise and consent to several governor’s nominees during a March 6, 1 p.m. meeting that was streamed live, advancing candidates for the Hawaiian Homes Commission and island burial councils to the full Senate for final confirmation.

The nominees approved included Archie Kalepa (Governor’s Message 590) and Lawrence Lasula (GM591) for Hawaiian Homes Commission seats, plus nominees to island burial councils and related cultural positions. Committee members heard in‑person and online testimony in support of each nominee before adopting the chair’s recommendation to advise and consent.

Why it matters: the panel’s confirmations fill advisory and decision‑making posts that shape how the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) and burial‑site review bodies address housing, land leases and the protection or repatriation of iwi kūpuna (ancestral remains). Senators pressed nominees on how they would balance cultural obligations and operational priorities, including a state legislative appropriation intended to reduce the DHHL wait list.

Supporters and testimony Callie Watson of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands testified in support of Archie Kalepa, saying, “we’re very, very fortunate…