STAND. COM. REP. NO. 1029

Honolulu, Hawaii

RE:    S.B. No. 1438

       S.D. 2

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fourth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2007

State of Hawaii

Madam:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred S.B. No. 1438, S.D. 1, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT ESTABLISHING A COMMISSION TO PLAN FOR THE FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF HAWAII STATEHOOD,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this measure is to establish a Fiftieth Anniversary of Statehood Commission (Commission).

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism (DBEDT).

     The intent of this measure is to plan and coordinate the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of Hawaii's admission to statehood in August 1959.  Your Committee finds that Hawaii has benefited greatly from statehood, particularly the rights, privileges, and protections that statehood and citizenship under the United States provide.

     Your Committee is cognizant of the comments concerning representation on the Commission, as expressed by DBEDT, and has endeavored to satisfy these concerns to the extent reasonable in bringing together a diverse citizen panel to plan for such an event.

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Increasing the Commission membership to twenty-five persons, to be selected without regard to Senate confirmation;

     (2)  Changing the selection of nominees by the President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor, to provide as follows:

          (A)  Six members to be selected by the President of the Senate, to represent various sectors including Hawaii's youth, academic community, labor, business, and cultural groups;

          (B)  Six members to be selected by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to represent various sectors including labor, business, cultural groups, faith-based organizations, and youth;

          (C)  Five members to be selected by the Governor, including persons knowledgeable in the history of Hawaii and Hawaiian culture, event planning, and developing community partnerships;

     (3)  Deleting the requirement that every member have some knowledge about the history and culture of Hawaii, and experience in event planning and in developing community partnership, on the basis that it is likely difficult to find such inherent experience to fill every position;

     (4)  Clarifying that a vacancy is to be filled by the same selection authority as appointed the vacating member;

     (5)  Providing for a quorum of fifteen members, with twelve members required for an affirmative vote;

     (6)  Changing the appropriation amount to an unspecified sum; and

     (7)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for purposes of clarity and style.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 1438, S.D. 1, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Third Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 1438, S.D. 2.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Ways and Means,

____________________________

ROSALYN H. BAKER, Chair