Is the Akaka Bill finally dead?

Author: Joshua Thompson

Loyal followers of the Liberty Blog will remember that back in December the lame-duck Congress tried to push through a bill that would have recognized Hawaiians as an Indian tribe.  This, in turn, would have opened up the ability of Hawaiians to be awarded preferences in a wide-array of government programs. Fortunately, the Akaka Bill was subsequently defeated, but we also noted how it continued to reappear, in one form or another, since 2000.  PLF also touched on this issue in a case last year.

Now, comes the news that Daniel Akaka, the Bill's sponsor and namesake, will not seek re-election in 2012. Hopefully, this will also mark an end to Congress's attempts to reintroduce race-based preferences for Hawaiians.  Individuals should be treated equally, irrespective of their race or sex, by all governments.