A pair of resolutions to examine new ways to manage Maunakea have advanced through the state Legislature today.
House Resolution 33 and House Concurrent Resolution 41, which both call for the formation of a working group that would develop recommendations for the future of Maunakea governance, were the subject of a hearing today by a pair of House committees.
The resolutions were introduced earlier this month by North and South Kohala Rep. David Tarnas, following comments by House Speaker Scott Saiki that the University of Hawaii should be replaced as the manager of Maunakea.
The house committees on Water and Land and Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs heard testimony from several people both in support and opposed to the resolutions, and received hundreds of pages of further written testimony. Greg Chun, UH’s executive director of Maunakea stewardship, said the university supports the intention of the resolutions but believes them to have fundamental flaws in their present state.
Most members of both committees were in support of the resolutions, although many also recommended making changes to improve the diversity of the working group or to make the group’s purpose more clear. Ultimately, both committees voted to pass both resolutions, but not without some opposition from committee members.
See tomorrow’s edition of the Tribune-Herald for the full story.