Proposals that sought to exempt the Office of Hawaiian Affairs from the Hawaiʻi open meetings law and adjust how OHA's salary commission is appointed failed in a final vote by the Board of Trustees on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the board approved a proposal to remove seats for developers on the Island Burial councils.
The proposals are part of OHA's 2025 legislative bill package the state agency would present to the Legislature.
CEO Stacey Kealohalani Ferreira said in a written statement that the board "engaged in robust discourse."
"The democratic process ran its course, and the outcome reflects the will of the board at this time," she wrote. "The Office of Hawaiian Affairs will continue to do its good work under the requirements of the Sunshine Law."
The board voted 4-3 to deny the proposal to exempt OHA from the Sunshine Law, which governs how boards and commissions conduct their meetings.
OHA wanted to exempt itself from the Sunshine law because it wanted flexibility in meeting with cultural practitioners and legal experts behind closed doors.
"OHA Trustees often engage in sensitive discussions involving legal strategies, negotiations with state and federal entities and complex land matters," according to OHA's meeting materials.
The state agency also wanted the authority to create and implement its own independent salary commission. OHA said the trustees make an annual salary of $58,560, and the chair makes $66,768. In comparison, part-time lawmakers make $72,348, and the Honolulu City Councilmembers earn $113,304.
Trustee Keliʻi Akina opposed the proposal but said some OHA board members feel it's been too long since they received raises.
"Part of the reason for that is that the salary commission that is designated to have oversight of OHA salaries has not met," he told HPR. "It's supposed to meet by order of the governor, and for that reason, some of the Trustees decided that we should approach the Legislature and change the way in which salaries are set."
"Instead of the governor having a commission, we would have an independent commission appointed by OHA that would superintend on that and would make sure that the job gets done."
He said he opposed the measure because it would remove the "concept of accountability to an outside party."
Akina underscored that OHA needs to rebuild trust with the public.
"Turning these bills down was an excellent move that helps us reestablish our accountability to the public and restore that trust," he said.
OHA is a semi-autonomous agency created to better the conditions of Native Hawaiians. It is funded by income from a public land trust, which includes land taken during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom.
The trustees oversee a nearly $600 million trust and a real estate portfolio, including property in Downtown Honolulu's Kakaʻako Makai area.
