Court rules Hawaii law unconstitutional

WASHINGTON - Ruling in a closely watched race discrimination case, the Supreme Court yesterday struck down a Hawaiian voting restriction designed to benefit descendants of the original islanders. The justices said the law unconstitutionally makes distinctions among people based on their ancestry.

By a 7-2 vote, the court declared the Hawaii law violates the Fifteenth Amendment's mandate that people not be denied a vote on account of race. Dissenting justices said the decision ignores the history of the 50th state and government efforts to compensate for past bias against indigenous peoples.

While the ruling directly affects only Hawaii, the attitude of the majority opinion reflects the Court's continuing drive against government policies that give advantages to racial minorities who historically have faced discrimination. It also apparently marks the first time the court has used the Fifteenth Amendment.

The law involves elections for trustees to a state agency that provides economic and social aid to people who trace their ancestry to the islands' inhabitants in 1778, when England's Captain Cook and his expedition arrived.