Hawaii Senate Minority Celebrates 56 Years of Statehood

“The constitution of the State of Hawaii shall always be republican in form and shall not be repugnant to the Constitution of the United States and the principles of the Declaration of Independence.”  -Hawaii Admission Act of 1959, §3

News Release from Office of Sen Sam Slom August 19, 2015

HONOLULU — Hawaii celebrates 56 years of statehood with Admission Day this Friday, August 21, 2015.  While the occasion is often met with apathy, disinterest and even controversy, Senator Sam Slom (Hawaii State Senate 9-Oahu) encourages celebration, and reflection upon what was achieved by those who voted overwhelmingly in favor of statehood in 1959.

Efforts at statehood have been documented as early as 1919, when Prince Jonah Kuhio Kalaniana‘ole introduced in Congress the first bill calling for Hawaii’s admission to the United States.  40 years after this initial effort by Prince Kuhio, on June 27, 1959, 94% of voters in Hawaii expressed their desire to join the union.  The people spoke, and the Admission Act was signed into law.

“When President Eisenhower signed the Admission Act into law in 1959, Hawaii’s people celebrated in the streets. We were united and proud to be American as well as Hawaiian.  It was a major victory for those who spent years hoping for and working towards statehood. We were excited to be the 50th State. Hawaii has been a pace setter in many social, economic and cultural developments since then.  Now, 56 years later, many of the gains that were achieved, and benefits enjoyed from statehood, are largely overlooked, taken for granted, or criticized.  We should build on our statehood experience and make it better while recognizing the freedoms and many net contributions statehood has provided the majority of our citizens,” said Senator Slom.

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MN: Admission Day Today

CB: Hawaii Senate Minority Celebrates 56 Years of Statehood

SA: Another quiet Statehood Day