Centennial Proclamation Ceremony in Honolulu

On February 14 at the State Capitol, Governor David Ige honored the League of Women Voters and its 100th Anniversary. The governor presented his proclamation to State League President Piilani Kaopuiki and highlighted (without notes) League’s long presence in U.S. and Hawaii politics. Piilani spoke about the Centennial theme, “Women Power the Vote” and then acknowledged soon-to-be-retired Rep. Cynthia Thielen, a longtime Honolulu League member, for “the embodiment of courage and the warrior spirit of our suffrage movement.”

Members of Hawaii County and Honolulu Leagues were joined by many of League’s community partners including AAUW Hawaii, Common Cause Hawaii, Planned Parenthood, AARP, and Hawaii’s Women Coalition. Also watching from the front row were State Representatives Cynthia Thielen and Amy Perruso and State Senator Ron Kouchi.

After the ceremony, some of the attendees shared a delicious lunch at The Mandalay. We shared stories before the Honolulu members hurried to another proclamation ceremony at the Honolulu City Mayor’s office.

People Powered Fair Maps™ (PPFM)

Last year, LWVUS recognized that for votes to matter, the process to draw district maps must be fair. The U.S. Supreme Court would not take a stand to establish federal limits on partisan gerrymandering, so the League took it to the state level and initiated People Powered Fair Maps™. Hawaii is a part of that movement.

From November to January, LWV Hawaii reported seven PPFM activities:

• Two voter registration tables (Puna Community Health & Wellness Fair in Pahoa and Women’s March in Hilo)
• Two forums/workshops with two partners (Honpa Hongwanji Hawaii Betsuin in Honolulu and Common Cause Hawaii at Waimea Intermediate School)
• One meeting with State League leaders and the State Elections Office (stakeholder) about voter education, voter rolls and voting rights of incarcerated felons
• Distribution of census information to Hilo High School, grades 10-12.
• Two letters from LWVHC President Rosemarie Muller, one to the Hawaii County Charter Commission and a letter to the Editor of Hawaii Tribune-Herald on the need for more voting centers on the Big Island.

A few days after the op-ed piece, Rosemarie was interviewed and landed on the front pages of Hawaii Tribune Herald and West Hawaii Today. Those two newspapers have a combined circulation of 31,600 on the Big Island.

-- Submitted by Donna Oba, Vice President, League of Women Voters of Hawai'i State