State senator calls on governor to enforce the law at Mauna Kea

HILO >> State Sen. Lorraine Inouye, whose district includes Mauna Kea, is calling on Gov. David Ige to resolve the impasse that has blocked construction of the Thirty Meter Telescope, and is calling on Ige to “protect all of us with your leadership.”

In an open letter to Ige published Tuesday in the Hawaii Tribune-Herald, Ino­uye told Ige that “we cannot pick and choose. Laws must be followed, all laws, all the time. Public trust requires bold leadership: Difficult decisions need to be made about Mauna Kea, its management, and how we address the needs of our host culture.”

Inouye, a former Hawaii County mayor who has served as a senator for 15 years, acknowledged that “in the past, management of beloved Mauna Kea was haphazard. I know, governor, that wasn’t on your watch. Frustration with the past does not justify blocking the public road to the top of the mountain. It’s civil disobedience.”

Inouye said in her letter that “we have made significant progress improving the management (of Mauna Kea) in recent years.”

“Certainly, there’s a great deal more to be done to recognize past wrongdoing and level the playing field for our Hawaiian community. Illegally blocking the public road to the top of Mauna Kea, however, does not help solve the challenges,” she wrote.

Ige did not respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the letter by Inouye (D, Kaupulehu-­Waimea-North Hilo).