U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court Backs Hawaii in Ceded Lands Sale
The U.S. Supreme Court has cleared the way for Hawaii to sell land conveyed to it when it became the 50th state.
The high court ruled that a congressional resolution apologizing for the overthrow of the Kingdom of Hawaii in 1893 did not take away the state’s authority to sell or transfer the land, the Associated Press reports. The land was ceded to the United States at the time of annexation, then returned to Hawaii when it became a state.
The Supreme Court decision overturns a Hawaii Supreme Court ruling that blocked sale of the ceded lands until claims to the property by Native Hawaiians could be resolved, AP says.
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote the unanimous decision (PDF) in Hawaii v. Office of Hawaiian Affairs.
