STAND. COM. REP. NO.3339

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.R. No. 89

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Education, to which was referred S.R. No. 89 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 23-27, 2002 AS "KIDS VOTING HAWAII WEEK","

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to designate September 23-27, 2002 as "Kids Voting Hawaii Week."

Your Committee received testimony in support of the measure from the Department of Education and Kids Voting Hawaii.

Your Committee finds that voting, voter registration, and knowledge of civics is declining in the high schools. As representative democracy relies so heavily on citizen participation and the informed consent of the governed, it is imperative that this trend be reversed. This measure would provide one important means of significantly increasing the public profile of this crucial issue among new and future voters.

Your Committee further finds that it is the civic responsibility of public high school student leaders and students eligible to vote to participate in the Kids Voting Hawaii program encouraging youth to vote.

Your Committee has amended the measure by:

(1) Adding a paragraph encouraging all public high schools to promote voter registration among eligible high school students during this week; and

(2) Including all Department of Education area superintendents and public high school principals among those parties that will receive a certified copy of the measure.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Education that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 89, as amended herein, and recommends that it be referred to the Committee on Judiciary, in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 89, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Education,

____________________________

NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair