Politicians in Hawaii are scrambling to get enough votes in Congress to pass a bill that would grant native Hawaiians a degree of self-government.
After seven years, the proposal to recognise native Hawaiians as indigenous inhabitants of the 50th state has been promised a vote in the Senate in June.
The Honolulu Star reports the Senator Daniel Akaka as saying he has support from Democrats but needs votes from Republicans to pass the bill.
The Senate scuttled a scheduled vote on the matter last September.
There has been widespread opposition to the Bill from native Hawaiians who won't support anything short of secession to lawyers who claim the bill is a racial entitlement programme.
