Hawaii Legislature OKs historic civil unions bill

[Newsjock]

Source: Honolulu Advertiser

By a final vote of 31-20, the Hawaii House today approved a civil unions bill that had appeared all but dead this legislative session.

The measure would give both same-sex and heterosexual couples the same rights as marriage under state law. The bill passed the Senate in January and now goes to the governor for her consideration.

The legislative approval was considered a major leap toward expanding the rights of gay couples in Hawai'i. It was here that national debate on the issue first erupted in 1993 in the wake of a historic Hawai'i Supreme Court ruling.

HB 444 was revived on the last day of the legislative session on a motion by House Majority Leader Blake Oshiro.

Read more: http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/20100429/BREAKING01/100429069/Hawaii+Legislature+OKs+historic+civil+unions+bill

[Cha]

1. Good on ya, Hawai'i...lingle better not

veto it.

[AllyCat]

2. What of this guv? Will she sign?

[Iliyah]

3. Beautiful

just fine as wine in the summer time!

[Hekate]

4. That is wonderful. I hope Gov Lingle lets it stand, because the fundies are boasting ...

... of their political strength with both parties, and I would not want proponents of this bill to have to test it against a new governor.

Hekate

[DesertDiamond]

5. Socialized medicine. now civil unions? I'm renouncing my US citizenship & becoming a Hawaiian! ;-)

[Bette Noir]

6. Will you be able to endure the climate? I hear it's pretty rugged.

[Bluesbreaker]

7. Imua!

Mahalo nui loa to the 31 brave representatives! Auwe to the 20 homophobes.

[No Elephants]

8. Better than nothing. "Separate but equal" is not equal, though.

[David__77]

9. Now it's up to the Republican governor.

We will see...

[cali]

10. Hawaii lawmakers pass civil unions bill

Source: CNN



(CNN) -- Legislators in Hawaii have passed a civil unions bill that would give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexual couples.

The state House of Representatives passed the bill by a 31-20 vote late Thursday. Gov. Linda Lingle has until early July to decide whether to sign the bill into law, CNN's Hawaii affiliates reported.

Civil union supporters cheered in the Capitol rotunda when the bill passed, CNN affiliate KGMB-TV in Honolulu said.

"I was always positive even when people were saying it was dead. I stayed positive and worked with a lot of different people that made this happen today," Tambry Young of Equality Hawaii told the TV station.

Lt. Gov. Duke Aiona said lawmakers shouldn't have approved the measure.

<snip>

"The state House's last-minute political maneuvering is unfortunate for the people of Hawaii who have voiced their support for traditional marriage," he said in a statement. "If the Legislature wanted to establish the equivalent of same-sex marriage, they should have put it on the ballot for the people to decide."

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/04/30/hawaii.civil.unions/?hpt=Sbin

[RaleighNCDUer]

11. Politics is the art of the possible.

Now, when the sky doesn't fall due to civil unions, the public will be far more receptive to full marriage equality in the not distant future.

And when it is the law in enough states, the federal government will follow suit (despite the fact that it should have been leading all this time).

[marshall]

12. "any two adults who cannot legally marry...."

That was how legislation that allowed for civil partnerships was worded back in the 80s when I lived in Hawaii. It was worded to avoid direct reference to same sex couples so as to raise less hackles from the right. But the backers of the bill were shocked when numerous relatives living together as well as non-sexually involved roommates applied for the status with its benefits and responsibilities.