The1978 Hawaii State Constitutional Convention is considered the watershed political event in the modernState of Hawaii.[1] It was convened on July 5, 1978. The convention established term limits for state office holders, provided a requirement for an annualbalanced budget, laid the groundwork for the return of federal land such as the island ofKahoʻolawe, and created theOffice of Hawaiian Affairs in an effort to right the wrongs done towardsnative Hawaiians since the overthrow of theKingdom of Hawaiʻi in 1893. The event also created an ambitious project of preservation of the Hawaiian culture including the adoption of Hawaiian diacritical marks for official usage, use of Hawaiian names, etc. The Hawaiian language became the official state language of Hawaii for the first time since the overthrow.[2]
Based upon language theUS Supreme Court had used tolegalize abortion andbirth control, the convention added the text: "theright of the people to privacy is recognized and shall not be infringed without the showing of acompelling state interest." This text makes the state constitution one of only five in the US that explicitly define a right to privacy.[3]
A major outgrowth of the constitutional convention was the launching of the political careers of those who would later dominate Hawaiian politics. Delegates to the convention included:
