Senator J. Kalani English Calls For Policy

The Kaselehlie Press Pohnpei
Monday, 15 October 2007

Written by Office of Senator English

HONOLULU – Hawai'i State Senator and Association of Pacific Island Legislatures (APIL) Vice President J. Kalani English (D -Hana, East and Upcountry Maui, Moloka'i, Lana'i and Kaho'olawe) is calling for support for a State policy on its relationship with the Freely Associated States in the Pacific region. These countries, The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) and the Republic of Palau, have treaty rights for their citizens to live and work in the US as if they were US citizens. Senator English participated in the first of several planned meetings of the Compact of Free Association Task Force on September 25, 2007.

Senator English was very pleased that both FSM Deputy Consul General Danny Rescue and FSM Acting Attorney General Johnson Asher could attend this pressing meeting. "The Task Force meeting was a powerful event and produced encouraging results," Senator English said. "I am hopeful that the Task Force will provide the legislature with draft legislation that will spell out precisely what we hope to accomplish for the community."

Acting Attorney General Asher added, "We are committed to working with the Task Force in Hawai'i to better the conditions of our citizens in this state."

Senator English has also provided practical advice on what legislators are looking for in the report the Task Force is preparing. The Task Force has an internal deadline for an interim report to the Legislature, which is December 15th. The final report is due to the 2008 Legislature by December 20th of that year.

Deputy Consul General Rescue said that he is "please to see so many organizations gathering to focus on this important issue." He noted that, "Hawai'i has been very gracious in welcoming our people to these islands. We will do our part to help."

The Task force, lead by James Walther, the Deputy Attorney General for Hawai'i, was created in response to Senate resolution 142 that was passed in the 2007 Legislative session (http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2007/Bills/SR142_SD1_.htm) to investigate and coordinate the provision of medical and social services to migrants from Freely Associate States living in Hawai'i.

Over 50 people were in attendance and included foreign, federal and local government agencies, Universities, private entities, and constituents from the community. Many of the agencies are involved with the Micronesian community on a daily basis.

Senator English also raised important questions about the FAS census, "I would like to know if the National census' in the FSM, RMI and Palau will include their citizens living abroad in their count, and for the U.S. census, would the department of Interior allow for a 'FAS Bubble' on the census forms to accurately count the migrants from FAS in Hawai'i and the US?"

The next Compact of Free Association Task Force meeting will be held on October 25th at 1pm at the DLIR (Department of Labor and Industrial Relations), Princess Ruth Ke'elikolani Bldg., 830 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 Conference room 313 & 314. For further information, contact James Walther and Carol Zenigami at (808) 587-3050.

© 2007 The Kaselehlie Press Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia.

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