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Native Hawaiian initiatives draw floor support and opposition after gaming language appears in committee report
Summary
A resolution to support programs for Native Hawaiians prompted both support for study and opposition to language referencing gaming; several members said they supported improving quality of life while rejecting gambling as a funding or program option.
A floor discussion on March 27 touched on legislation seeking to support Native Hawaiian programs; the committee report drew support for study and concern from members who objected to language referencing gaming.
Representative Marisa Shimizu said she supported studying ways to improve outcomes for Native Hawaiians but that she was “totally against gaming” and “believe that that should be taken out of the resolution.” She added that while she supported investigating options to help the community, she opposed the inclusion of gaming as a possible mechanism.
Other members voiced support for studying ways to “improve the quality of life” for Native Hawaiians and requested clarifications and reservations to be entered in the journal. Representative Perrick and Representative Matayoshi requested their reservations and comments be included. The chair recorded the committee report, noted members’ remarks, and adopted the report as part of the block of standing committee reports.
Why it matters: The discussion highlights tension between exploring revenue or programmatic options for Native Hawaiian initiatives and whether certain funding mechanisms, such as gaming, are appropriate to include in legislative proposals.
Next steps: The committee report was adopted as part of a block; members’ statements and reservations were entered for the record. The inclusion of gaming language was specifically questioned and may be subject to amendment in subsequent committee consideration.
