The Hawaii State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state legislature is a bicameral body consisting of a lower house, the Hawaii State House of Representatives, with 51 representatives, and an upper house, the 25-member Hawaii State Senate. There are a total of 76 lawmakers in the legislature, each representing single member districts across the islands. The powers of the legislature are granted under Article III of the Constitution of Hawaii. The legislature convenes at the Hawaii State Capitol building in the state capital of Honolulu, on the island of Oahu.
Patsy Matsu Mink was an American attorney and politician from the U.S. state of Hawaii. Mink was a third-generation Japanese American, having been born and raised on the island of Maui. After graduating as valedictorian of the Maui High School class in 1944, she attended the University of Hawaii at Mānoa for two years and subsequently enrolled at the University of Nebraska, where she experienced racism and worked to have segregation policies eliminated. After illness forced her to return to Hawaii to complete her studies there, she applied to 12 medical schools to continue her education but was rejected by all of them. Following a suggestion by her employer, she opted to study law and was accepted at the University of Chicago Law School in 1948. While at university, she met and married a graduate student, John Francis Mink. When they graduated in 1951, Patsy Mink was unable to find employment and after the birth of their daughter in 1952, the couple moved to Hawaii.
The Hawaiian Independent Party, was a political party active in Hawaii from 1900 to 1912. It was established by Robert Wilcox immediately after the United States annexed the Hawaiian Islands and established the Territory of Hawaii. The party was formed due to worries from Native Hawaiians that both the Democratic Party of Hawai‘i and Hawai‘i Republican Party were incapable of representing them.
The Hawaii Republican Party is the affiliate of the Republican Party (GOP) in Hawaii, headquartered in Honolulu. The party was initially strong during Hawaii's territorial days, but following statehood the Democratic Party took control. The Hawaii Republican Party is currently one of the weakest Republican affiliates along with the District of Columbia Republican Party.
The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Hawaii:
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in the U.S. state of Hawaii enjoy the same rights as non-LGBT people. Same-sex sexual activity has been legal since 1973; Hawaii being one of the first six states to legalize it. In 1993, a ruling by the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court made Hawaii the first state to consider legalizing same-sex marriage. Following the approval of the Hawaii Marriage Equality Act in November 2013, same-sex couples have been allowed to marry on the islands. Additionally, Hawaii law prohibits discrimination on the basis of both sexual orientation and gender identity, and the use of conversion therapy on minors has been banned since July 2018. Gay and lesbian couples enjoy the same rights, benefits and treatment as opposite-sex couples, including the right to marry and adopt.
The 25th Arizona Territorial Legislative Assembly was the final session of the Arizona Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Phoenix, Arizona, and ran from January 18 till March 18, 1909. Its actions include the creation of Greenlee County, establishing the Arizona Pioneers' Home, and requiring primary elections.
Paul Nahaolelua was a Hawaiian high chief who served many political posts in the Kingdom of Hawaii, including Governor of Maui from 1852 to 1874. In his long political career, Nahaolelua served under the reigns of five monarchs: Kamehameha III, Kamehameha IV and Kamehameha V, Lunalilo and Kalākaua.
William Pūnohuʻāweoweoʻulaokalani White was a Hawaiian lawyer, sheriff, politician, and newspaper editor. He became a political statesman and orator during the final years of the Kingdom of Hawaii and the beginnings of the Territory of Hawaii. Despite being a leading Native Hawaiian politician in this era, his legacy has been largely forgotten or portrayed in a negative light, mainly because of a reliance on English-language sources to write Hawaiian history. He was known by the nickname of "Pila Aila" or "Bila Aila" for his oratory skills.
Rosalie Enos Lyons Keliʻinoi was a Portuguese-Native Hawaiian politician of the Territory of Hawaii. In 1925, she became the first woman elected to the Hawaii Territorial Legislature, representing the island of Kauai.
The Thirtieth Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was the final session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 18 until May 2, 1959. This was the first session to comprise 25 senators and 51 representatives, avoiding potential equal representation which occurred in the House of Representatives during the 24th Hawaii Territorial Legislature.
The Twenty-Ninth Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was a session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 20 until May 7, 1957. This was the final session which comprised 15 senators and 30 representatives.
The Twenty-Eighth Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was a session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 16 until April 29, 1955. The majority of members of this Legislature were elected during the Hawaii Democratic Revolution of 1954.
The Twenty-Seventh Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was a session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 18 until May 19, 1953.
The Twenty-Sixth Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was a session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 21 until May 19, 1951.
The Twenty-Fourth Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was a session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 19 until May 3, 1947.
The Twenty-Third Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was a session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 21 until May 4, 1945. It was the final session convened in Hawaii during World War II, and the first session convened after martial law ended on October 24, 1944.
The Twenty-Second Legislature of the Territory of Hawaii was a session of the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. The session convened in Honolulu, Hawaii, and ran from February 7 until April 28, 1943. It was the only legislative session convened while Hawaii was under martial law during World War II.
Mary Kapuahualani "Girlie" Robinson was a Republican Senator from Oahu in the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. She was one of two women in the Territorial Senate in 1951, with the other being Thelma Akana Harrison. Before being elected to the legislature, she was president of We The Women of Hawaii, and worked within the Territorial Government for 21 years.
Dee Duponte was an American politician. She was a Democratic Representative and later Senator for Maui in the Hawaii Territorial Legislature. Her term as Territorial Senator ended in 1957. In 1958, she attempted suicide in her Waikiki apartment and was subsequently hospitalized until her death in 1971.
