A proposal to establish the shaka as Hawaii’s state gesture made progress through the state Legislature on Wednesday after winning the approval of its first House committee.
The House Committee on Culture, Arts and International Affairs voted unanimously in favor of passing House Bill 2736, which would, if passed, make Hawaii the first state in the nation to establish an official gesture.
Steve Sue, director of Hawaii nonprofit ID8, testified in support of the measure, saying the shaka has become an icon intrinsically associated with the state.
“There are 24 official (Hawaii) state symbols today,” Sue said. “The shaka’s not included among them, but if you think about the shaka … it is Hawaii.”
The committee voted unanimously to pass the bill with little discussion — only Waikiki Rep. Adrian Tam offered any comment on the measure, simply saying “This is a good bill.”
To advance, the bill also must pass the House Committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs, which has not yet scheduled any discussions on the matter.