HI Senate Committee Considers Civil Unions

February 24, 2009

HONOLULU&Mdash;With a little manuevering, HB 444, the Hawaiian Civil Union Bill may make it to a vote before the full Senate. The bill previously passed in the House last week. The prospects for the bill remain uncertain.

The Senate Judiciary Committee had scheduled hearings on the bill for today, however, the Committee is deadlocked 3-3 and the bill may not make it out of Committee. The full Senate can vote to pull the bill from the Committee, although such a vote is controversial.

Supporters of the bill believe that most of the Senate's Democrats will vote to approve the bill. If so, the bill will proceed to the Governor's desk, where its fate is also uncertain. Governor Linda Lingle as in the past supported limited marriage to opposite-sex couples.

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