Justice is not blind: The Blog was interested to see an unusual and yet little-noticed missive from the Hawaiʻi Supreme Court last week affirming the principles of “equal justice for all.” It seems the high court is paying attention to the harsh anti-immigrant, anti-DEI and anti-Deep State edicts coming out of Washington, D.C.

The rather provocative statement reads in part, “Equality before the law has long been a guiding principle in Hawaiʻi. It seeks to elevate all people by recognizing their common humanity and eliminating the barriers that keep them from fully participating in society. It is a message that remains as important today as it was in 1797, and will always continue to guide the work we do at the Hawaiʻi State Judiciary.”

Read the statement in full from Chief Justice Mark Recktenwald and Associate Justices Sabrina McKenna, Todd Eddins, Lisa Ginoza and Vladimir Devens:

Holiday mode: Hawai‘i is generous when it comes to official days off. There are 13 holidays this year, including Prince Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole Day (March 26) and King Kamehameha I Day (June 11).

GOP Sen. Kurt Fevella would like to add one more day to the list: “Lā Kūʻokoʻa,” or Hawaiian Independence Day, which would be celebrated every Nov 28. Currently, Lā Kūʻokoʻa is more of a designated day of recognition, not a state holiday but enshrined in state law nonetheless. Fevella wants to boost its status.

According to the bill, Senate Bill 614, Lā Kūʻokoʻa was a national holiday under the Hawaiian Kingdom that commemorated the signing of the Anglo‑Franco Proclamation of 1843. It marked official diplomatic recognition of the independence and sovereignty of the kingdom by Great Britain and France.

Speaking on the Senate floor last week in favor of SB 614, Fevella said it was important to reestablish the holiday so all of us can celebrate Hawaiian culture “in modern times.”

All 25 senators voted aye. A House committee is expected to hear SB 614 Wednesday.

Holidays are not without costs. The state Department of Budget and Finance estimates that an extra paid state holiday would cost around $17 million a year. And the Honolulu Department of Human Resources estimates a new holiday would cost the city about $2 million per year.

Officially unofficial days: But wait, there’s more. Three bills still alive this session would add a few designated days of recognition into state law.

Perhaps the most popular, judging by the amount of testimony received, is Laulau Day. Laulau, according to House Bill 957, is made from pork or fish, wrapped in kalo or ti leaves and steamed in an imu or underground oven.

“The legislature further finds that the preservation and promotion of Hawaiian food traditions are essential to honoring the rich legacy of Native Hawaiian culture and fostering a deeper understanding of the cultural practices that have been passed down through generations,” the bill says.

Laulau Day would be the first Friday in May, according to the latest draft.

House Bill 458 would establish Brother Joseph Dutton Day on April 27, his birthday, which was actually in 1843 in Stowe, Vermont. A Civil War veteran, the man then known as Ira Barnes Dutton and suffering from a raft of personal problems (you can read more about it in the text of the bill) converted to Catholicism and adopted the name of his favorite saint, Joseph.

That’s where he heard about the work of Father Damien on Molokaʻi and Brother Joseph decided to join him and help care for the leprosy patients on Kalaupapa. He took over from Father Damien upon his death and stayed until he, too, died, in 1931.

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Both Laulau and Brother Joseph Dutton Days have been scheduled for hearings in the Senate Transportation and Culture and the Arts Committee on Wednesday.

Also still alive but not yet scheduled for a hearing in the Senate is House Bill 194, creating Maritime Day. That would be May 22 every year. It would celebrate the state’s “rich seafaring history,” including the role Hawaiʻi’s ports play in providing basic necessities for the islands.

The Blog was curious what other recognized days there might be in Hawaiʻi and called the Legislative Reference Bureau for assistance. The helpful librarian quickly walked us through how to find the list, located under Hawaiʻi Revised Statutes 1-8. (The Blog would like to propose a Legislative Reference Bureau Day, these people are great.)

It turns out there are too many other recognized days to list them all but they include Buddha Day, Bodhi Day, Kimchi Day, Peace Day and Patriot Day. And you can check out the full list here.

Just say no: Brenton Awa and Samantha DeCorte were among the senators to vote in favor of Hawaiian Independence Day. As the Blog has previously blogged, Awa, the Senate minority leader, often votes no on lots and lots of bills. He generally does not like to expand the scope and costs of government.

In her short time in the Senate, DeCorte is largely voting the same as her Republican colleague.

Last week the two voted against bills that would set up an illegal fireworks enforcement division, increase penalties for illegal fireworks use, help medical marijuana caregivers, require reporting of all hate crimes, have the state adopt rules for alternative fuels, allow campaign funds to be used for family care, prevent carrying unconcealed firearms at election centers and require moped drivers to wear a helmet.

Awa and DeCorte did not explain why they voted no so often, although there was one notable exception: Senate Bill 438 which, among other things, would forbid the building of landfills over aquifers. DeCorte said in floor remarks that she does not want to put waste disposal facilities over fresh water reserves, but she worries that her district will once again be stuck with O‘ahu’s ʻōpala.

“I’ve got to advocate for the residents of Wai‘anae and firmly oppose this bill as it would keep the current landfill operational in my district,” she said. “Wai‘anae continues to face challenges and has been labeled as the dumping ground of Hawai‘i.”

DeCorte’s 24 colleagues — including Awa — voted to pass the bill anyway. It now has a hearing in a House committee Thursday.