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 that Archie has been willing to take on the challenge” and praising his cultural background and community standing. Dimont Kalei Manoli and labor representative Brandon Wolf also testified in support; Manoli called Kalepa “solid” and described his experience with off‑grid and pilot projects, while Wolf, speaking for the ILWU, said seeing Kalepa in Lahaina’s wildfire response convinced him Kalepa “is a leader” who should serve.

Kalepa told the committee he was born and raised in Lahaina and described his community work, including organizing a local hub during the wildfire response and longtime service with the Polynesian Voyaging Society. On a question about potential schedule conflicts between voyaging obligations and commission meetings, Kalepa said he seeks to balance both but that “my commission meetings will be a priority.”

For Lawrence Lasula (GM591), Department staff again offered support, highlighting his Moloka‘i homestead background and community leadership. Joseph Howe, a Moloka‘i homesteader, told senators Lasula “understands the heartbeat of the homesteaders.” Senators questioned Lasula about his use of the term “commercialization” in his questionnaire; Lasula said he meant pursuing revenue‑generating uses of DHHL land to help fund services and lower costs for beneficiaries.

Senators also pressed Lasula and other nominees on Act 279, the 2022 legislative appropriation discussed during the meeting. As read into the record by a senator, that statute “provides funds to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands to pursue a multi‑pronged approach to eliminate its wait list,” and the senator noted the legislature appropriated $600,000,000 for that purpose. Lasula said he found aspects of Act 279 complex but expressed support for using funds to help beneficiaries get on the land.

Cultural and burial‑site nominees Jessica Puff, administrator of the State Historic Preservation Division (SHPD) at the Department of Land and Natural Resources, testified in support of several burial‑council nominees, citing genealogical ties, experience with iwi kūpuna protection and work as cultural monitors and consultants. Michael Coloma Taylor provided online testimony supporting a candidate referenced in the record as McCullough, noting that nominee’s long involvement with kupuna and repatriation work. Kavehi Miller, a nominee to the O‘ahu island burial council, described her focus on bringing people together and resolving regional protocol differences.

Committee action and next steps For each nomination the chair recommended “advise and consent,” and the committee adopted the chair’s recommendation by voice vote; the chair announced the recommendation for each GM before the roll call. Several senators registered their votes in the record as “aye” and one member (Senator Ihara) was noted as excused during the roll call for at least one nomination. The chair closed the meeting by saying they look forward to the full Senate floor votes.

The committee’s action moves the nominees to the full Senate for final confirmation. No nominees were opposed at the committee stage; several senators used their time to ask procedural and substantive questions rather than to register opposition.

What the record shows and does not The committee record includes multiple in‑person and remote supporters for the nominees and committee questions focused on balancing cultural duties with commission obligations, revenue strategies for DHHL lands and implementation of Act 279. The committee did not adopt any amendments or issue formal directions that change agency programs during the meeting; the votes recorded at the committee level were to advise and consent on the nominations and to forward them to the full Senate.