Hawaii: Civil unions now closer to reality after 18-7 vote

[cali]

By Richard Borreca

POSTED: 01:30 a.m. HST, Jan 23, 2010
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The long-stalled civil unions bill is on the move again, but both supporters and opponents say the controversy is not over.

House Bill 444 cleared the state Senate yesterday on an 18-7 vote. It now goes to the House, which supported the bill last year but is now not promising passage.

If the bill clears the House or a joint House-Senate conference committee and goes to Gov. Linda Lingle, its fate is unknown because Lingle has never expressed an opinion on the bill.

The House could also disagree with the Senate amendments, go into a conference committee with the Senate and write a third version of the bill, which would have to be voted on by both the House and Senate before going to the governor.

The long-stalled civil unions bill is on the move again, but both supporters and opponents say the controversy is not over.
DENNIS ODA / [e-mail]
Aaron Escobido-Ortiz and Kaiser Mattos hugged while Tara O'Neill and Jenn Clark were all smiles after yesterday's vote on civil unions. They were among more than 300 people who watched the debate from the Senate gallery.
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House Bill 444 cleared the state Senate yesterday on an 18-7 vote. It now goes to the House, which supported the bill last year but is now not promising passage.

If the bill clears the House or a joint House-Senate conference committee and goes to Gov. Linda Lingle, its fate is unknown because Lingle has never expressed an opinion on the bill.

So lawmakers want a veto-proof majority in case Lingle rejects the bill.

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More than 300 people, divided between opponents dressed in white shirts and supporters wearing rainbow paper leis, packed the Senate gallery to view the debate. Gladys Yee Pong, a retired state worker from Waianae, made her first visit to the Capitol to watch the proceedings and lobby against the bill.

"It was something to hear them all speak and listen to their words, but it didn't change my mind in any way.

"I couldn't understand why they want to change the law," Yee Pong said.

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But others like Sen. Mike Gabbard (D, Kalaeloa-Makakilo), who first gained political prominence by leading the anti-same-sex marriage movement in 1998, said the controversy is not about "civil rights, equal rights or benefits."

"The ultimate goal of civil unions, same-sex marriage advocates, is societal approval and acceptance of homosexuality on an equal basis with heterosexuality," Gabbard said.

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http://www.starbulletin.com/news/20100123_Civil_unions_now_closer_to_reality_after_18-7_vote.html

House Speaker Calvin Say said the Democratic caucus would meet Monday to discuss options regarding the civil unions bill, adding that he was uncertain of what would happen.

But Say said he would only proceed if the House had the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto by the governor.