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The Hawaii Rural Rehabilitation Corporation, Limited, incorporated on November 16, 1934 [JR 12, SLH1935] as an instrumentality of the FERA, began functioning in 1935 with an initial federal grant of $35,000 to foster a program of relief and rural rehabilitation for farmers, ranchers, and other agricultural groups.

On July 1, 1935 the Federal Emergency Relief Administration was superseded by the Resettlement Administration and, consequently, the Hawaii Rural Rehabilitation Corporation operated under this new agency. On February 29, 1936 the HRRC ceased its relief activities after operating for approximately 15 months. On May 1, 1939 the remaining funds of the corporation were transferred to the Governor’s Special Contingent fund (HJR 31, SLH 1939).

The 30th and last legislature of the Territory of Hawaii adjourned sine die on May 2, 1959. Hawaii was admitted as the 50th State of the United States on August 21, 1959, and the Constitution of the State of Hawaii, ratified on November 7, 1950, went into effect. On August 31, 1959, in accordance with Article XVI of the State Constitution, the First Legislature of the State of Hawaii convened in Special Session.

Article III of the State Constitution vests legislative power in a Legislature of two houses, a Senate and a House of Representatives. Such power extends to "all rightful subjects of legislation not inconsistent" with the State Constitution or the Constitution of the United States. Article III also enumerates the powers of the Legislature, the qualifications of the legislators and the lengths of legislative sessions. Through 1968, the Legislature of the State of Hawaii met in general session in odd-numbered years and in budget session in even-numbered years. From 1969 it has met annually in regular session. Special sessions of varying length have been convened when necessary throughout the period of statehood.

In these sessions, both the House and the Senate organize themselves into several standing committees, and into such special committees as may appear from time to time to be appropriate. These committees hear testimony on resolutions, bills and other matters pending before them as part of the process of determining what action to take thereon. They investigate such claims, circumstances or situations as may be referred to them, and provide opinions and recommendations to the full House or Senate.

The State Constitution of 1950 provided for multiple representatives and senators from individual districts. The first legislature consisted of 25 senators from six districts and 51 representatives from 18 districts. This scheme remained in effect through the Eleventh Legislature in 1982. By that time, the number of districts had increased to 8 senatorial and 27 representative, the result of a succession of redistricting and reapportionment actions. In 1983, as a result of a federally-approved plan, the legislature converted to single-member districts; however, the number of representatives and senators in the legislature has not changed since statehood.

Act 115, S.L.H. 1947, authorized the establishment of the Hawaii Statehood Commission to "actively support and press the movement for statehood." However, the history of Hawaiian statehood attempts dates to the abortive treaty of 1854 which sought the annexation of the Hawaiian Kingdom to the United States as a state. Following annexation, the Territorial Legislature in 1903 passed a joint resolution requesting Congress to pass a statehood enabling act; in 1920 the first Hawaiian statehood bill was introduced in Congress; in 1935 the Hawaiʻi Equal Rights Commission was established and charged with studying the statehood issue and the first Congressional hearing on statehood was held in Hawaii; in 1941, pursuant to recommendations by the 1937 Joint Congressional Committee, a territorial plebiscite was conducted. Also in 1941, a bill creating a statehood commission was introduced in the regular session of the Legislature, but was tabled on the recommendation that the powers of the Hawaii Equal Rights Commission be expanded to promote statehood. In the special session, the functions of the Equal Rights Commission were so amended.

On May 29, 1947, Governor Stainback appointed Delbert E. Metzger, Raymond S. Coll, Abner T. Longley, Samuel Wilder King, Gavien Bush, F.W. Broadbent, David T. Trask and Charles A. Rice to the Statehood Commission. At its initial meeting on June 9th, Abner T. Longley was elected chairman. (Succeeding chairmen were S.W. King, C. Nils Tavares, and Lorrin P. Thurston.) Pursuant to Section 5 of Act 115, on July 1st all property, records, and personnel of the Hawaii Equal Rights Commission were transferred to the Statehood Commission.

Act 115 also authorized the creation of a legislative holdover committee. To be composed of six members of the Senate and six members of the House of Representatives. The holdover committee was to cooperate and advise the Statehood Commission on the pending statehood bill in Congress. Its members met with the Commission, either in body or was represented by its chairman or vice-chairman.

Upon recommendations by the Delegate to Congress and the Executive Secretary, in August 1947, the State Constitution Committee was appointed to lay the groundwork for the convening of a constitutional convention. During the Constitutional Convention in 1950, the staff of the Commission provided assistance to the convention delegates, and as authorized by Act 4 (Special
Session, 1950), the Executive Secretary of the Commission worked with the Committee on Submission and Information to seek ratification of the proposed state constitution.

With the clause relating to national advertising declared invalid (Campbell vs. Stainback, et. al., 38 Hawaii, 310) and repealed by Act 365 (S.L.H. 1949), the Commission undertook letter-writing campaigns. These were spearheaded by the Citizens' Statehood Committee, chaired by Gregg Sinclair.

Established by the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920, enacted by the United States Congress [Act of July 9, 1921, c 42, 42 Stat 108]. Section XII of the Hawai‘i State Constitution adopted the Congressional act as a law of the state. Section 24 of Act 1 passed by the First State Legislature, Second Special Session transferred the authority and functions of the Hawaiian Homes Commission to the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.

The U.S. Congress amended the 1920 Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, approved on July 26, 1935. One of the sections in the amendment called for a representative from the Interior Department, experienced in sanitation, rehabilitation, and reclamation work, to reside in Hawai‘i and cooperate with the Commission in carrying out its duties. George K. Larrison, a long-time resident of the islands, was appointed, effective January 1, 1936. Upon Mr. Larrison's retirement on June 30, 1939, the position was not filled.

In 1845, the Hawaiian Legislature enacted and Kamehameha III approved a series of acts that established the Executive Ministry. The Second Act, Part 1 created the Department of Interior and the Hawaiian Land Office.

It's successors were the Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, the Commissioner of Public Lands, and the Land Management Division and later Land Division of the Department of Land and Natural Resources, which continued this role into the 21st century.

The first mention of a postal system in Hawaii was an enactment of the Legislature (4th Article, Second Act) on April 27, 1846, relating to the handling of inter-island mails. It was entitled "An Act to Organize the Executive Departments of the Hawaiian Islands," and stated:

"The collector general of customs and the collectors of the respective ports of entry and departure…shall be, ex-officio post masters, and entitled to receive and open, at their respective ports, the mail bags hereinafter specified. The minister of the interior shall appoint some trustworthy and discreet person, residing conveniently, on each of the islands where no port of entry and departure is established. to be the post master thereof."

The act further provided for furnishing leather postal bags, setting up schedules for closing of mails, and posting of lists of mail received by the postmaster.

With the United States Post Office initiating a regular mail service by steamship between the east coast and California and Oregon, and a subsequent treaty between the U.S. and Hawaii (ratified August 9, 1850) in which an article provided for the safe transmission of the mails between the two countries, the Hawaiian government decided that the 1846 statute governing internal correspondence was insufficient to handle foreign mails. The Privy Council, therefore, passed a decree on December 20, 1850, and the 1851 Legislature enacted a law that established a Post Office in Honolulu (temporarily in the Polynesian Office). The Council appointed a Postmaster, Henry M. Whitney, and set up rates for remuneration to ships' captains for carrying the mails.

Inter-island mails were handled free of charge until 1859. One of the early controversies of the Post Office was the question of initiating postal fees for inter-island mail. Postmaster Whitney represented the view that mails should be kept free as native correspondence was steadily on the increase and initiating charges would exclude a large share of these native letter writers. The Minister of the Interior (1854 Report, p.7) agreed, and added that it was important to encourage native correspondence as it contributed "in some degree to the advancement of the nation in civilization." The next postmaster, J. Jackson, argued that the present system requiring ships to carry inter-island mails without compensation resulted in non-punctual delivery and questionable safety of the mails. He suggested adopting a small inter-island postage fee, with the revenue derived to go to the vessels carrying the mail. The legislature (Civil Code 1859) amended the acts of the Post Office and adopted postal rates for inter-island mail effective August 1, 1859. The Minister of the Interior Report of 1860, notes that despite mail charges correspondence between native Hawaiians did not stop. (p.2)

The first postage stamps were the "Missionaries" issued October 1, 1851. A great problem in the 1850's and 1860's was the frequent lack of stamps - post offices would run out (because they failed to order enough or to reorder soon enough), and the mail carriers often had difficulty giving change because of the lack of coins.

The legislature in 1854. passed an act "authorizing the appointment of mail carriers in the remote districts of the Kingdom." They neglected to provide appropriations to carry out the law, instead stating that the islands could use any surplus money from the police appropriation to implement the act. The only island with a surplus was Hawaii, and they set up a mail route from Kawaihae to Hilo through Hamakua in 1854.

In that same year, the Post Office was moved to Honolulu House. In 1870, the Post Office building at Merchant and Bethel streets was built and the post office remained there until May 1, 1922, when it relocated to the King and Richard street site in the newly constructed Federal Building.

Initially, the mails were forwarded between the United States and Hawaii, and between the islands, by sailing vessels. These trips, dependent on the inconsistencies of weather, caused many scheduling problems and resulted in irregular handling of mail. By 1862, the introduction of steam communication between the islands facilitated the movement of inter-island mails and improved the transmittal of mails between the U.S. and Hawaiʻi by rendering "their conveyance by sailing vessels more regular." (Minister of Interior Report, 1862, p.12) ''The installation of a subsidized line of mail steamers in 1867 probably furnished the impetus for the drawing up of the first formal postal treaty (May 4, 1870) between the Kingdom of Hawaii and the United States." (Hawaii, Its Stamps and Postal History, p.81) The treaty went into operation on July 1, 1870, and remained in effect until Hawaii became a member of the Universal Postal Union, January 1, 1882.

Within the islands, the number of mail carriers and mail routes increased. A passage in the 1884 Report of the Postmaster General describes the mail carriers and their work in an appeal for increased salaries.

"These men are all native Hawaiians, and as they have to be regular in their service, starting promptly in all kinds of weather, and must own relays of horses or mules, to be always ready in serviceable condition, they are justly entitled to what they are paid. Some of them have been in this service for fifteen or twenty years, and have seen the mails increase from a small number of letters and papers weekly, that hardly filled a pair of saddle bags, to eight or ten heavy sacks, requiring sometimes two extra pack animals to carry them over the rough mountains and through deep gulches and streams. On all the routes they leave and collect correspondence at the numerous houses and villages scattered near the road, and have become a great public convenience, indispensable for properly distributing the twenty thousand Hawaiian and foreign papers which our publishers and newsdealers claim that they issue every week." (p.6)

The introduction of steam vessels, making possible regular mail service between the islands, can account for part of the increase in internal mails. Another part can be attributed to the increase in daily, weekly and monthly publications. "When it is remembered that all island subscribers to these publications are entitled by law to receive their papers through the domestic mails free of postage, one cause of the increased use of mails will be discovered." (Report of the Postmaster General, 1884, p.13)

The 1882 Legislature enacted a law to authorize the Postmaster General to establish domestic and foreign Postal Money Order systems, and by May 1883, a domestic money order business had begun. International money orders between the U.S. and Hawaii date from January 1, 1884. (Minister of Interior Report, 1884, p.33)

A few years later, on July 1, 1887, the Post Office opened a Hawaiian Postal Savings Bank.

"The Hawaiian Postal Savings Bank was opened...as a branch of this bureau, and has proved a remarkable success, all classes availing themselves of its advantages. The principal post offices throughout the islands have been constituted branches of the bank service and have proved a convenience to country residents. and have turned in a quite a large aggregate of deposits." (Minister of Interior Report, 1888, p.88)

By 1897, the postal system had grown so large that it was no longer possible to close down the Honolulu Post Office in order to handle incoming overseas mail.

"Formerly everything was on the occasions in question subordinated to the handling of mails, but the community has long since outgrown the village style where that sort of thing was tolerable... The time has surely arrived... when every branch of the Postal Bureau should be completely segregated, having its staff confined strictly to its own peculiar duties." (Report of the Postmaster General, 1897, p.3-4)

With annexation and the Organic Act, the postal service of Hawaii was superseded by that of the United State, taking effect June 14, 1900.

Following is a list of the records in the Postmaster General files, as well as a list of postmasters through annexation.

Postmaster Generals
H.M. Whitney (December 22, 1850 - July 1, 1856)
J. Jackson (July 1, 1856 - August 14, 1859) (Jackson died August 14, 1859)
A.K. Clarke (August 27, 1859 - June 30, 1863)
David Kalakaua (June 30, 1863 - March 18, 1865)
A.P. Brickwood (March 18, 1865 - July 20, 1881)
John M. Kapena (July 20, 1881 - February 13, 1883)
H.M. Whitney (February 16, 1883 - April 15, 1886)
J.L. Kaulukou (April 15, 1886 - July 31, 1886)
Luther Aholo (July 31, 1886 - October 15, 1886)
F. Wundenberg (October 15, 1886 - May 2, 1891)
Walter Hill (May 2, 1891 - April 1, 1893)
Jos. M. Oat (April 1, 1893 - April 30, 1905)

Through Act 359, the 1993 Hawaii state legislature established the Hawaiian Sovereignty Advisory Commission (“HSAC”) to seek counsel from the native Hawaiian people on how to facilitate their effort to be governed by an indigenous sovereign nation of their own choosing, to study self-determination and self-governance for Hawaiians. HSAC was placed administratively under the Office of State Planning (“OSP”). Act 359 provided that HSAC “shall advise the legislature” on:
(1) Conducting special elections related to this Act;
(2) Apportioning voting districts;
(3) Establishing the eligibility of convention delegates;
(4) Conducting educational activities for Hawaiian voters, a voter registration drive, and research activities in preparation for the convention;
(5) Establishing the size and composition of the convention delegation; and
(6) Establishing the dates for the special elections.
In addition, section 4(c) of Act 359 required HSAC to submit a report of its findings and recommendations to the legislature “not less than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 1994.” Act 359, §4(c), 1993 SLH at p. 1012. Responding to the legislature’s mandate, in 1994, HSAC submitted legislation, given House Bill (H.B.) No. 3630 and Senate Bill (S.B.) No. 3153.
The legislature, by Act 200 of 1994 (formerly known as H.B. No. 3630), amended Act 359 and changed HSAC from an advisory body to an implementing body, independent of state agencies and election laws. All reference to HSAC was removed from the law, and the body was renamed the Hawaiian Sovereignty Elections Council (“HSEC”). HSEC was placed administratively under the Department of Accounting and General Services (“DAGS”). One of the main purposes for HSEC was to “hold a plebiscite in 1995 to determine the will of the indigenous Hawaiian people to restore a nation of their own choosing.” Act 200 provided that HSEC “shall”:
(1) Plan and conduct the plebiscite in 1995;
(2) Carry out the responsibilities necessary for the conduct of elections and the convening of delegates;
(3) Provide for an apportionment plan;
(4) Establish the eligibility of convention delegates;
(5) Conduct Hawaiian voter education and registration; and
(6) Establish task forces and committees necessary for the purposes of this Act.
Act 200, pursuant to its terms, was to be repealed on December 31, 1997.
Finally, the legislature, by Act 140 of 1996, made further amendments to the law which, among other things, removed all reference to the word “plebiscite,” and inserted the words “Native Hawaiian Vote”. Act 140 also extended the deadline for the Native Hawaiian Vote from 1995 to 1996, and added another section to the law, adding these purposes for the HSEC to:
(1) Plan and conduct the Native Hawaiian Vote in 1996;
(2) Carry out the responsibilities necessary for the conduct of elections and the convening of delegates;
(3) Provide for an apportionment plan;
(4) Establish the eligibility of convention delegates;
(5) Conduct Hawaiian voter education and registration;
(6) Establish task forces and committees necessary for the purposes of this Act; and
(7) Provide election guidelines and procedures for the Native Hawaiian Vote, without regard to chapter 91, Hawaii Revised Statutes.
Act 140 also inserted specific language to terminate HSEC’s existence on December 31, 1996.

Timeline
1993 July 1. By enacting Act 359, the Hawaii State Legislature creates the Hawaiian Sovereignty Advisory Commission (“HSAC”). This Commission is a 19-member body, and one ex-officio member representing mainland Hawaiians, within the Office of State Planning; the members, including three state officials, are to be appointed by Governor John Waihee. HSAC, which is funded with $240,000, is to submit to the legislature, prior to its 1994 session, a plan for: (1) an election, "under the election laws of the state," of delegates for: (2) a convention to develop: (3) an "organic document for the governance of a Hawaiian sovereign nation," and (4) a "ratification election."

1994 February 18. HSAC issues its final report

    June 2.     The Hawaii State Legislature enacts Act 200 for the purposes of supporting a fair and impartial process to determine the will of the indigenous people and to restore a nation of their own choosing.  The Act requires, among other things, that: "Nothing arising out of the Hawaiian convention provided for in this Act, or any results of the ratification vote on proposals from the Hawaiian convention, shall be applied or interpreted to supersede, conflict, waive, alter, or affect the constitution, charters, statutes, laws, rules, regulations, or ordinances of the State of Hawaii or its political subdivisions, including its respective department, agencies, boards, and commissions."

1995 HSEC issues an interim report.

1996 July 15. Approximately 85,000 ballots are mailed to ethnic Hawaiians in a State sponsored election asking the question "Shall the Hawaiian people elect delegates to propose a Native Hawaiian government?" Ballots were to be returned by August 15, with plans to announce the results of the vote on September 2.
July 31. The Native Hawaiian Convention is convened. One of the announced goals is the development of a constitution on Hawaiian self-determination that can be ratified by the more than 200,000 Hawaiians in Hawaii and on the mainland.
August. Vote counting is administered by the League of Women Voters. The results are certified on August 24.
September 6. As the result of a lawsuit filed earlier that summer, United States District Judge David A. Ezra issues a ruling in favor of HSEC. The lawsuit had challenged the constitutionality of the Native Hawaiian Vote. The case was titled Kakalia vs. Cayetano, Civil No. 96-00616. In his ruling, Judge Ezra announced that the results of the vote could be announced on September 9. Plaintiffs appealed Judge Ezra’s decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals; that Court upheld the decision shortly thereafter.
A companion case was Rice vs. Cayetano, Civil No. 96- 00390, wherein the plaintiff Harold Rice challenged the race-based elections for the Office of Hawaiian Affairs (“OHA”); that case was appealed to, heard, and resolved by the United States Supreme Court in 2000.
September 11. Results of the Native Hawaiian vote are announced. Of the 85,000 ballots mailed, only 33,000 ballots were returned. Of those 33,000 ballots returned, 30,423 were eligible to be counted. Of the 30,423 ballots eligible to be counted, 26.72% of voters or 8,129 votes 'a'ole or no, and 73.28% of voters or 22,294 voted 'ae or yes.
December. HSEC issues its final report.
December 31. HSEC’s existence is formally terminated pursuant to the legislation that created it. Its work is assumed by the non-governmental, non-profit organization Hawaiian Sovereignty Council, also known as Ha Hawaii.

The Hawaii State Legislature created this independent agency with membership specified in Act 359, 1993 SLH. Initially, as HSAC, it was composed of 20 members: 19 members appointed by the governor, with at least 12 of these 19 members appointed from nominations submitted by Hawaiian organizations, and one member serving in an ex officio capacity, representing “mainland” resident Hawaiians. HSAC, and later HSEC, were provided staff assistance through DAGS.

In response to concerns that the members were not elected by the native Hawaiian people, the members of HSAC submitted legislation in January, 1994 to have members selected by Hawaiian organizations for the newly-established HSEC. See H.B. 3630, 1st draft, 1994 SLH. At the Hawaiian Organization Conference on February 4, 1994, however, the overwhelming consensus of the 200 organizations represented was that selecting new members would be a waste of time and money, and that HSAC should continue providing leadership in this process. The legislation adopted as Act 200, 1994 SLH, therefore, changed the nature and name of the organization, but made no changes in the composition of its membership.