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The Hawaii Legislative Commission was an action body evolving from a series of events which threatened to bring about drastic changes in the legal structure of the Territory. In the latter part of 1931 and early 1932, events accompanying two related local crimes resulted in considerable notoriety· and hysteria on the
U.S. continent. Laxity in the local law enforcement machinery was associated with political interference. Acting upon U.S. Senate Resolution No. 134, the Assistant U.S. Attorney General, Seth Richardson, headed an investigating committee which studied the Hawaiian situation and reported in April, 1932. Based upon this report, some 11 bills were introduced in the Senate which aimed to tighten Federal controls in the Territory and curtail many basic rights guaranteed by the Organic Act. Two special sessions of the Territorial Legislature were called in 1932 for the chief purpose of passing remedial legislation designed to correct the weaknesses formerly extant in the Territorial law enforcement machinery. The first special session established a Joint Legislative Committee by House Concurrent Resolutions Nos. 11 and 14 directing the Committee to study the Richardson Report and make recommendations to the Legislature. It was empowered to compel the attendance of witnesses at hearings and engage any stenographic or clerical help necessary. A sub-committee canvassed public opinion by sending out 600 questionnaires and copies of the bills introduced in the U.S. Senate and calling representative citizens before them in open hearings and obtaining statements. The Committee reported through its Chairman, Roy A. Vitousek, to the 2nd Special Session on June 3, 1932. Also on June 3, 1932, Act 71 was passed and approved. This act created a
Legislative Commission empowered to assist the Delegate to Congress in preparing, compiling, and furnishing information, statistics and other data for presentation of Hawaiʻi's position on matters pending before Congress or any other matters which might arise before the advent of the next Legislative session. The Commission of five was to be composed of the Governor, Lawrence M. Judd, and four others to be
appointed by him. The Governor was Chairman, ex-officio. and the Commission was to meet at his call. It was authorized to go to Washington upon the written request of the Delegate and assist him during the hearings before the Senate Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs. The sum of $15,000 was appropriated from general revenues to cover the expenses of the Commission and the cost of clerical, legal and other assistance. Governor Judd first appointed an Advisory Committee on matters referred to in Act 71. Members were: J.L. Coke, William H. Been, W.B. Pittman. H.R. Hewitt. A.G.M. Robertson. A.G. Smith, Roy A. Vitousek, A. Akana, and C.A. Rice. Raymond C. Brown was elected Vice-President of the Committee and Lt. Col. Walter R. Dunham as Secretary. The membership was later expanded to include three members from the Chamber of Commerce with three Committee members in the formation of a special subcommittee to work out plans for a publicity campaign on the Mainland. The Chamber of Commerce agreed to advance the sume of $1,500 for expenses and hiring of a Publicity Director, J.R. Farrington. The money was to be replaced from the appropriation made for the Legislative Commission at such time as it was formed. The Advisory Committee met from August 29 to November 10. 1932 and prepared most of the material which was later used by the Legislative Commission. November 21, 1932, the Hawaii Legislative Commission held its first meeting and incorporated the records of the Joint Legislative Committee and the Advisory Committee. Members were: James L. Coke, Wallace R. Farrington, A.G.M. Robertson, John H. Wilson, and the Chairman, Governor Judd. J.R. Farrington was appointed as Special Writer and Mrs. R.D. Johnson as Stenographer. Steps taken to combat the "Richardson Bills" involved assembling and circulating correct information about the Islands, enlisting community support of efforts made to cope with the bills obtaining all available information and drafting appropriate arguments bearing upon the questions raised, and preparing a comprehensive brief setting forth the position of the Territory on Senate Bills Nos. 4309, 4310, 4311, 4312, 4314, 4315, and 4374 and 4375, which were then pending in the Committee on Territories and Insular Affairs, U.S. Senate. The Commission submitted its brief to Delegate V.S.K. Houston on January 3, 1933, setting forth its position on the Bills and including a considerable body of supplementary data in support of its stand. Discussion of remedial legislation enacted by the Territorial Legislature during the two special sessions and the report of the Joint Legislative Committee were included in the brief. Hearings were subsequently held on January 16, 19·33, the brief submitted and the bills allowed to die in Committee. The Commission formally dissolved on January 31, 1933 and Governor Judd received and approved the minutes of February 2, 1933.

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.

Through Act 17, SLH 1959 (Special Session), the legislature of the State of Hawaii established the Hawaii Statehood Celebration Committee (“HSCC”) to prepare for the various official celebrations after the news that Congress passed the bill for Hawaii’s Statehood: the U.S. Senate voted on March 11, the U.S. House on March 12, 1959. On March 18, 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill into law.

Senate Bill 58, which became Act 17, was introduced on September 11, 1959, and was approved by the Hawaii State Legislature after Senate adjournment on October 22, 1959. Governor William F. Quinn signed it into law on November 13, 1959.

A plebiscite was conducted on June 27, 1959 whereby the voters accepted statehood. On August 21, 1959, President Eisenhower proclaimed Hawaii the 50th State and unveiled the new 50-star flag in Washington, D.C.

Apparently, before enactment of Act 17 in Honolulu, a group calling themselves the “Lanakila Club” and later known as the Statehood Day Celebration Committee, met in January, February and March of 1959. This committee had not been recognized by government officials. Its members were:

    I.B. “Buddy” Petersen
    Ray Kinney
    Don Beach
    Jock Purinton
    Ray Tanaka
    Charles “Chuck” Allen
    John Akaka
    Elsie Ross Lane
    John Tsukano

Meetings of the Lanakila Club continued through 1959 and before passage of Act 17 in November 1959. Grand plans for celebration events included a concert at the Honolulu Stadium with celebrities including Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye and Arthur Godfrey. The committee also discussed coordinated bonfires on Sand Island, military warship “salutes” off each of the islands, and airplane fly-overs.

After enactment of Act 17, the following members were appointed to the HSCC:

Lt. Gov. James Kealoha (ex officio)
Senator Matsuki Arashiro
Senator Bernard Kinney
Senator Ward Russell
Senator Barney Tokunaga
Representative Donald Ching
Representative Mamoru Yamasaki
Representative Takeshi Kudo
Mr. Ernest Albrecht
Mr. Kenneth Char
Mr. David Eyre
Mrs. Mary K. Robinson

Mr. Jan Jabulka, Executive Director, and Ms. Peg Smith, Executive Secretary, were appointed to serve the Committee in administrative capacities.

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.