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OHA committee adopts staff positions across nine legislative matrices, amends stances on several bills
Summary
The Office of Hawaiian Affairs committee reviewed its 2026 legislative matrices Feb. 11, 2026, and voted to adopt staff recommendations across multiple topic areas. Trustees approved amended positions — including changing one Mauna Kea measure to 'oppose' and adjusting stances on housing and natural‑resource bills — and ratified a set of testimony submissions.
Honolulu — The Office of Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) Committee on Beneficiary Advocacy and Empowerment met on Feb. 11 and voted to adopt staff recommendations across nine legislative matrices covering housing, natural resources, public lands, health and education.
The committee considered nine matrices and recorded formal roll‑call votes on each. Committee staff presented status updates on several bills, including a constitutional amendment vehicle that the presenter said "died because it did not get a triple referral on Monday," leaving the Senate as the only remaining vehicle; an aquarium‑related measure (SB2996) that drew substantial beneficiary support and some industry opposition; and several land‑use and historic‑preservation bills moving on the House side.
Why it matters: OHA’s matrix votes direct the agency’s testimony to the Legislature and indicate whether OHA will support, oppose, monitor or submit comments on bills that affect Native Hawaiian communities, ceded lands and programs that OHA oversees or monitors.
What the committee did
- Matrix 1 (OHA 2026 state legislative package): Chair put a motion to approve or amend Matrix 1; members approved the package in roll call (motion announced as passing with vote total recorded).
- Matrix 3…
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