The state Ethics Commission has postponed a contested-case hearing on whether state Sen. Brian Kanno, D-19th (Kapolei, Makakilo, Waikele), violated state ethics law by pressuring Norwegian Cruise Line to rehire or provide back pay and expenses to a cabin steward fired in 2004 for sexual harassment.

The commission had brought an ethics charge against Kanno and had set a June 7 hearing date, the first in 21 years. But the commission issued a one-paragraph statement on Tuesday saying the hearing has been postponed until further notice.

Dan Mollway, the commission's executive director, and an attorney for the commission both said they could not comment on why the hearing was postponed. Rebecca Covert, an attorney who has represented Kanno before the commission, did not return telephone calls seeking comment. Kanno, who announced this month that he would not run for re-election, did not return messages left at his Senate office.

Kanno has said he was acting as chairman of the Senate Labor Committee and as a mediator when he approached Norwegian on the cabin steward's behalf.