THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

44

TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO hawaiian affairs.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 


     SECTION 1.  The Eternal Flame memorial, honoring men and women who served in the armed forces, is currently located on Beretania Street, across from the state capitol building.  In contrast, the Korean/Vietnam War memorial is located along Richards Street and the walkway behind the state capitol, a quiet and peaceful oasis on the grounds of the capitol building.  The legislature finds that this walkway, also known as Hotel Street mall, is a more appropriate place of reflection for a memorial.  Therefore, the legislature finds that relocating the Eternal Flame memorial to the walkway behind the state capitol building and designating the length of the walkway between Richards Street and Punchbowl Street as Memorial mall is a more appropriate and meaningful tribute to Hawaii's men and women who served in the armed forces.

     The legislature further finds that the Spirit of Lili‘uokalani statue that is located in the walkway behind the capitol building would be more appropriately located at the current site of the Eternal Flame memorial.  In its current location, the statue of Queen Lili‘uokalani inappropriately faces away from ‘Iolani Palace where she reigned over the Hawaiian kingdom and was unjustly deposed.  By relocating her statue to the site of the Eternal Flame, Queen Lili‘uokalani would face the capitol building, representing the future of her people, and would also face ‘Iolani Palace.  Even more, this site is next to Washington Place, which was Queen Lili‘uokalani's home, close to where she was born, and is across the street from The Queen's Medical Center.

     Further, to instill the history of the Hawaiian kingdom in perpetuity, the legislature finds that a bronze frieze depicting each of the former rulers of the Hawaiian kingdom should be placed on the wall behind the current location of the Eternal Flame memorial.  Kahili are fitting artifacts for this wahi pana, or legacy site.  Kahili are feathered standards — symbols of rank that were displayed at ceremonial gatherings of chiefs and rulers and are exceptionally unique to Hawaii.  The legislature further finds that portraying the Hawaiian rulers attended by bronze kahili along with a frieze of their likeness and description would bring historic validation to the former Hawaiian kingdom.

     Accordingly, the purpose of this Act is to:

     (1)  Designate the walkway behind the capitol building as Memorial mall; and

     (2)  Create a ho‘onoho pono working group to interchange the Eternal Flame memorial with the Spirit of Lili‘uokalani statue and to create a monument respecting the former Hawaiian rulers to be placed with Queen Lili‘uokalani's statue.

     SECTION 2.  Section 6E-34, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§6E-34[]]  Capitol site.  (a)  The portion of the "Honolulu Civic Center" adopted by the Honolulu city planning commission on February 23, 1945, as the master plan for the city and county of Honolulu after a public hearing on February 1, 1945, for the executive-legislative center, specifically that area of Honolulu bounded by Richards, Beretania, Punchbowl, and Hotel Streets, for which lands have been acquired and preliminary plans have been designed pursuant to Act 401, Session Laws of Hawaii 1949, is designated as the capitol site for the State.

     (b)  The Hotel Street mall running between Richards Street and Punchbowl Street shall be designated as Memorial mall.  All future war memorials sited on state capitol grounds shall be placed only in proximity to or along Memorial mall.  All other monuments placed on the capitol grounds shall:

     (1)  Transcend time;

     (2)  Be all encompassing, nondiscriminatory, and aspirational; and

     (3)  Reflect the values, heritage, and history of Hawaii.

All monuments in and around the capitol shall contain necessary structural supports."

     SECTION 3.  (a)  There is established within the state foundation on culture and the arts for administrative purposes a ho‘onoho pono working group.

     (b)  The working group shall elect a chair from among its members and adopt rules and procedures as needed.  The working group shall consist of the following members:

     (1)  The comptroller, or the comptroller's designee;

     (2)  The chairperson of the board of land and natural resources, or the chairperson's designee;

     (3)  One representative from the department of defense, office of veterans' services;

     (4)  One representative from the state foundation on culture and the arts;

     (5)  One representative from the department of defense advisory board on veterans' services;

     (6)  One representative from the office of Hawaiian affairs;

     (7)  One member of the house of representatives appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

     (8)  One member of the senate appointed by the president of the senate; and

     (9)  Eight representatives who shall be appointed jointly by the speaker of the house of representatives and the president of the senate to include one representative from Hui Hanai representing the Queen Lili‘uokalani trust; one representative from the Royal Order of Kamehameha I; one representative from the heirs of Prince Consort John Owen Dominis; one representative from the Washington Place Foundation; one representative from the Prince Kuhio Hawaiian Civic Club; one representative from the Pearl Harbor Hawaiian Civic Club; one representative from the Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs; and one representative from the Friends of Iolani Palace.

     (c)  The working group shall:

     (1)  Supervise and direct the relocation of the Spirit of Lili‘uokalani statue on the grounds of the state capitol to the current location of the Eternal Flame memorial along Beretania Street;

     (2)  Supervise and direct the relocation of the Eternal Flame memorial to the current location of the Spirit of Lili‘uokalani statue on the grounds of the state capitol; and

     (3)  Design bronze frieze with likenesses and descriptions of the following individuals:

         (A)  King Kamehameha I;

         (B)  King Kamehameha II - Liholiho;

         (C)  King Kamehameha III – Kauikeaouli;

         (D)  King Kamehameha IV – Alexander Liholiho;

         (E)  King Kamehameha V – Lot Kapuaiwa;

         (F)  King Lunalilo;

         (G)  King Kalakaua; and

         (H)  Queen Lili‘uokalani,

          and place the bronze frieze on the wall directly behind the current location of the Eternal Flame memorial.  Bronze kahili, feathered symbols of rank, shall also be designed and displayed at the site.

     (d)  The members of the working group shall serve without compensation, but shall be reimbursed for expenses, including travel expenses, necessary for the performance of their duties.

     (e)  The working group shall submit a report, including a design and proposed appropriation amount for the bronze frieze and kahili and the relocation of the Eternal Flame memorial and Spirit of Lili‘uokalani statue, to the legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the regular session of 2016.

     (f)  The working group shall be dissolved on June 30, 2016.

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2015.



 

Report Title:

Queen Lili‘uokalani Statue; Eternal Flame Memorial; Memorial Mall; Hawaii State Capitol; Working Group; Hawaiian Rulers

 

Description:

Designates the walkway behind the capitol building as Memorial Mall.  Creates a working group to design bronze frieze and kahili to portray Hawaiian rulers in perpetuity and to interchange the Queen Lili‘uokalani statue located on the capitol grounds with the Eternal Flame memorial on Beretania Street.  (SD1)

 

 

 

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