by Ken Conklin
The newly reconstituted Hawaii Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights is scheduling public hearings focused on the Akaka bill. Testimony can be submitted anytime during August by e-mail to
bdelaviez@usccr.gov
Written testimony can also be sent by old-fashioned mail, or can be hand-delivered at the hearings (although speaking time will be very short).
The public meeting on O’ahu will be Monday August 20, 1-5 PM, at the state capitol auditorium.
The official announcement was published in the Federal Register on August 10, and can be seen at
http://thefederalregister.com/d.p/2007-08-08-07-3885
Coconut wireless indicates the committee will hold an open meeting at Maui Community College Wednesday August 22 3-7 PM. An open meeting will be held on Kaua’i on August 30 or 31, but date time and place are not yet available.
All persons concerned about the Akaka bill should submit testimony to the Hawaii Advisory Committee before the end of August to help the committee understand the issues and make recommendations to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and to Congress. Congress returns to work after Labor Day and can take up the Akaka bill whenever the Democrat majority leadership chooses to schedule it.