STAND. COM. REP. 3364

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2004

RE: S.R. No. 19

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2004

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations, to which was referred S.R. No. 19 entitled:

"SENATE RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE FULL PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE BE RECITED BEFORE THE START OF EACH SENATE AND HOUSE FLOOR SESSION,"

begs leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to request the full Pledge of Allegiance be recited before the start of each Senate and House floor session.

Testimony in opposition to this measure was received from the Hawaiian Political Action Council of Hawaii and Molokai Advertiser News.

The Pledge of Allegiance has become one of the most preeminent symbols of American unity and serves as a collective public expression of patriotism for the United States of America. Your Committee determines that the Pledge of Allegiance should be recited by the Senate and House during its floor sessions in honor of American troops deployed overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is a symbolic gesture that would mean a lot to our troops overseas, some of whom have not and may not come home.

Your Committee has amended this measure to request that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited on the first Session day of the week.

As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 19, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 19, S.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Transportation, Military Affairs, and Government Operations,

____________________________

CAL KAWAMOTO, Chair