Yet, Hawaii has been at crucial crossroads before, and it has always responded. It did so in 1950, when the first state constitution was written, proving Hawaii's political maturity and spirit.

It did so again in 1959 when the Legislature, through laws swiftly drafted and passed in response to statehood, transformed a weak and dependent territorial government into a strong and sovereign state. At the current crossroads, we must again look to ourselves and proceed boldly to make the tough and right decisions for Hawaii's future.

We have gained strength in the good times, overcome adversity in the bad, profiting from both. The lesson we have learned is that there is strength in cooperation. Working together, we can overcome all obstacles, yet sustain Hawaii as a very special place, our island home, where impossible dreams are possible.

Consider a pair of examples: Dave Shoji, of the nationally acclaimed Rainbow Wahine volleyball team, and Alana Dung, the darling of our island heart.

The collaboration between Dave and the Rainbow Wahine began 22 seasons ago. Beginning with the talent available in the islands, he patiently developed the women's volleyball program. As he persevered, he created winning teams by recruiting talent from the mainland and elsewhere, melding the best of Hawaii and the rest of the world. After producing four national champions and dozens of All-Americans, Dave Shoji has once again achieved national greatness with his 1996 Rainbow Wahine team winning its way to the Final Four, finishing second in the country, breaking all national attendance records, and inspiring the entire State - truly Hawaii's team.

Alana is the youthful embodiment of all that is good about the people of Hawaii. Nowhere else could a small cry for help prompt so spontaneous and genuine a response from society.

Taken together, Dave and Alana exemplify an island ethic that guides us surely onward. It is in this spirit that this Senate was organized and will conduct its work this session.

Elections provide a periodic yardstick by which to measure our performance. Last year the judgment of the voters was clear. They were impatient with lengthy deliberations. They wanted action.

As a result, we reorganized the Senate to improve its performance and open doors anew to frustrated constituents. The new co-chair system, along with other reforms, will spread the workload, increase accessibility, and share power. I fully expect it to yield a better outcome.

The first test of the Senate's resolve will be the success with which we address prominent unfinished business from prior years.

FIRST: AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE

SECOND: LEGISLATIVE RETIREMENT BENEFITS

THIRD: SAME SEX MARRIAGE

FOURTH: CRIME

The Hawaii of today has changed. There is less time for family obligations. It seems that the values and attitudes of our children are taught through commercial television and movies, where selfishness, violence, and disrespect for others often prevail.

We must take back the responsibility for our young people. The property crime rate in Hawaii, including the graffiti problem, has been skewed by juveniles who do not continue their education and have no jobs. We have juveniles on drugs and peddling drugs. We must be tough on juveniles who commit such crimes so that they understand that there will be consequences, even adult consequences, for their acts.

Crime against tourists also must be addressed or our vital visitor industry will suffer. Prostitution in Waikiki, assaults in hotels, purse snatchings, golf course holdups, and the like must be eliminated.

In the entire area of crime, we will give special attention and work with the executive branch and the counties to find some answers.

The second test of the Senate's resolve will be the decisions we make to control our own destiny and prepare for Hawaii's future.

With an economy that remains stubbornly unresponsive and an equally sluggish revenue growth, we must accept the idea that government has grown as large as it currently needs to.

I firmly believe government's role is to provide essential services, such as education, public health, social services, and public safety. I also believe that the public deserves to have these services provided efficiently and without disruption. This requires high morale among public employees, a system which treats them fairly and procedures which facilitate labor and management agreements. However, protracted events have brought the University of Hawaii faculty and the public school teachers to the brink of striking and have forced them to work without new contracts for over 18 months. This should not be. We intend to find a better way to bring about fair and more timely settlements for our educators and others in the public sector.

There may be opportunities to sell such large public enterprises as the airport system and the convention center which would result not only in government downsizing but also economic stimulus. To find out, we will ask the Legislative Reference Bureau to study whether such new arrangements would be possible, financially beneficial to the State, and in the public interest. This would be part of our continuing review of which tasks are best suited to government and which should be left to the private sector.

The business dynamics in Hawaii have changed substantially since statehood - from a plantation economy controlled by big corporations to a service economy where 95% of the businesses are small businesses.

We will review government regulations and reduce tax burdens on small business. Toward this objective, I propose we end the pyramiding of the general excise tax on leases. I believe that ending pyramiding on leases, on an incremental basis, will place more money in the hands of sublessees. That money will be spent for improvements and employee salaries, offsetting the loss in state revenues.

We must also determine how we can assist businesses to do business. This session, we must also, most critically, address the problem of economic stagnation and identify all opportunities to energize the economy.

The third test of the Senate's resolve will be how we address the special circumstances of today's descendents of Hawaii's original people. Plainly, they have waited long enough for recognition in their own land.

As we approach the year 2000, we must remember our continuing obligation and make room for native Hawaiians to determine their own destiny. We should defer the constitutional convention approved by the voters until the native Hawaiian community can work its way through the various aspects of sovereignty. We must be mindful that the 1996 election results for the convention is under court scrutiny -- we really cannot act until we receive court advice. Let us all step back and give the process a chance to work.

As we draw closer to the dawn of the 21st century, it will be our task to insist that we have found a better way, that we are proof of the proposition that humankind can live in harmony and prosper, not at the expense of one group or another, but to the benefit of all. Armed with a new spirit of responsibility and collaboration, and the commitment and determination to produce results, I am confident that the Senate is ready to tackle the people's business.

The best is yet to come for Hawaii.