Community | March 30, 2009 | 8 comments

Hawaii Senate defeats civil unions

source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29884952/

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ClipsFC
HONOLULU - An effort to force a vote on same-sex civil unions failed in the Hawaii Senate on Wednesday, essentially killing the measure.

Only six senators supported the legislative maneuver, short of the nine votes required for a full Senate vote.

Even though about 18 senators have indicated they support civil unions, they lacked the political willpower to go against Senate President Colleen Hanabusa, who opposed the effort.

Hanabusa has supported civil unions but said she didn't want to override the normal lawmaking process by lifting the bill from its committee, where it had stalled following a 3-3 vote.

Senate Judiciary Chairman Brian Taniguchi says there's still hope that the bill could be amended and revived, but that probably wouldn't happen until next year.
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8 comments // Hawaii Senate defeats civil unions

  • QuitItAlready
    • 0
      QuitItAlready  

    • I have a lot of respect for Hawaii, my father grew up there. I also know that they will eventually do the right thing. They are good people that believe in the rights of their people.

    • 2 years ago
  • ClipsFC
    • 0
      ClipsFC  

    • Very true. I remember an Interview with Barbara Streisand on TV not to long ago. She speaks so highly of Hawaii. She owns a home there and spends much of the winters on Hawaii. She mentioned in the interview how much she adores the culture and the free spirit. She also laughingly said that she can't count the times that she was approached by Look-a-likes meaning drag queens impersonating her and she felt so flattered.

    • 2 years ago
  • JSmith44
    • 0
      JSmith44  

    • NE and CA. .They have more gay bars in HI then the entire state of NE, Vermont and Main combined. It's not even a matter of gay. Civil unions are for any couple that wishes to have the same legal rights and protection afforded a married couple. HI failed that because they stalled in committee 3-3, not because everybody in HI was opposed. It will pass as in any other civilized state.

    • 2 years ago
  • ClipsFC
    • 0
      ClipsFC  

    • I respect the culture of Hawaii but I fail to see how that would affect a Civil Union to protect a couples legal rights. Civil rights are not reserved for NE and CA - this is not only gay couples, there are many heterosexual couples that chose not to marry and still would like the same legal protection.

    • 2 years ago
  • arcticspirit
    • 0
      arcticspirit  

    • If you have spent time living in HI, you will find that they are kind of in their own world.. and what goes on in New England and CA, doesn't really bother them.

      They have culture and lives there. They want to preserve much of that culture. If they pass that kind of legislature, it will be in their own time, not at the pushing of this group or that.

    • 2 years ago
  • ClipsFC
  • JSmith44
    • 0
      JSmith44  
    • ClipsFC:

      HI is actually very Democratic and very liberal when it comes to Gay rights in general. This was an insider deal where they stalled it in committee 3-3 so as to force the president of legislation to override. There will always be homophobes that are willing to do their part. They will come around.

    • 2 years ago
  • ClipsFC
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