The concept for the PACE Commission began more than 15 years ago. In a speech to the American Judicature Society in 2006, then Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald T.Y. Moon challenged the legal community to instill a basic understanding of how government works in Hawaii residents.
In 2007, the AJS responded by forming a committee to increase public understanding of the legal system and recommended establishing the Hawaii Institute for Civics Education, but unfortunately lack of funding prevented this from getting off the ground. In 2018, Chief Judge Ginoza co-chaired an AJS committee with attorney Ted Pettit to revisit the prior AJS report’s recommendations for addressing civics. The committee included Troy Andrade, David Louie, Magistrate Judge Kenneth Mansfield, Pat Mau-Shimizu, Randy Perreira, and Steven Uejio. The committee studied the efforts by different groups in Hawaii and across the country to address civics and determined that a statewide commission, created by the Hawaii Supreme Court, would be the best course. With the support of Hawaii Supreme Court Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald, this AJS committee recommended a rule by the Hawaii Supreme Court to create the PACE Commission.
On January 7, 2021, the PACE Commission was born, based on Rule 23 of the Rules of the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii. Members of the Commission are appointed by the Chief Justice, Governor, Senate President, Speaker of the House, Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Department of Education, Hawaii Association of Independent Schools, President of the University of Hawaii, Dean of the University of Hawaii William S. Richardson School of Law, Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii, and the Hawaii State Bar Association. Since being created last year, the PACE Commission has made great strides and filed its first annual report in April 2022, filled with impressive accomplishments. Further, the PACE Commission was instrumental in Gov. David Ige proclaiming October 2022 as Civics Awareness Month.