Hawaii Gay Couples File Lawsuit
Jul 29th, 2010 01:16 PM By AdminThe following is an excerpt from a story by The Associated Press:
“Six gay couples in Hawaii are filing a lawsuit Thursday asking for the same rights as married couples, three weeks after Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed a same-sex civil unions measure.
“The lawsuit doesn’t seek the titles of ‘marriage’ or ‘civil unions’ for gay partners. Instead, it requests that the court system extend them the benefits and responsibilities of marriage based on the Hawaii Constitution’s prohibition against sex discrimination.
“‘We continue to be discriminated against,’ said plaintiff Suzanne King, who has been in a relationship with her partner for 29 years. ‘We’re a family unit, and we live our lives just like everyone else, but we aren’t treated the same.’
“The legal action in state court comes as a response to the Republican governor’s veto July 6, when she said voters should decide whether to reserve marriage for couples of a man and a woman.
“…Hawaii passed the nation’s first ‘defense of marriage’ constitutional amendment in 1998, giving the state’s legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples. The amendment is silent on civil unions and rights for same-sex couples.
“The office of Hawaii Attorney General Mark Bennett declined comment Wednesday because it hadn’t yet been served with the lawsuit.”
“…The case likely won’t be settled until it reaches the Hawaii Supreme Court, or if state lawmakers and the next governor approve a new civil unions bill…”
Read the full The Associated Press story >>
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Hawaii Governor Lingle Vetoes Civil Unions Bill
Jul 06th, 2010 09:09 PM By AdminHawaii Governor Lingle just announced at a press conference she has vetoed the civil unions bill passed by the state legislature in April.
According to KRON-TV in Hawaii, Lingle says her reason for vetoing House Bill 444 is because she is “convinced that this issue is of such societal importance that it deserves to be decided by the people of Hawaii.”
The following is an excerpt from a story by The Associated Press:
“Hawaii’s governor on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have permitted same-sex civil unions, ending weeks of speculation on how she would weigh in on the contentious, emotional debate.
“Republican Gov. Linda Lingle’s action came on the final day she had to either sign or veto the bill, which the Hawaii Legislature had approved in late April.
“‘There has not been a bill I have contemplated more or an issue I have thought more deeply about during my eight years as governor than House Bill 444 and the institution of marriage,’ Lingle said at a news conference. ‘I have been open and consistent in my opposition to same-sex marriage, and find that House Bill 444 is essentially same sex marriage by another name.’
“Had Lingle not vetoed it, the measure would have granted gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits that the state provides to married couples. It also would have made Hawaii one of six states that essentially grant the rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself. Five other states and the District of Columbia permit same-sex marriage.
“Lingle’s decision is expected to be the last say on the proposal this year because state House leaders have said they won’t override any of Lingle’s vetoes.
“For weeks, Lingle has heard emotional views from both supporters and opponents of the bill and on Tuesday invited leaders from both sides to her standing-room only news conference.
“…About 60 percent of the more than 34,000 letters, telephone calls, e-mails and other communications from the public to the governor asked her to veto the measure, the governor’s aides said late last week.
“The Aloha State has been a battleground in the gay rights movement since the early 1990s.
“A 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court ruling nearly made Hawaii the first state to legalize same-sex marriage before voters in the state overwhelmingly approved the nation’s first “defense of marriage” constitutional amendment in 1998.
“The measure gave the Legislature the power to reserve marriage to opposite-sex couples. Lawmakers responded by enacting a law banning gay marriage in Hawaii but left the door open for civil unions.
“Last year, civil unions easily passed the House but stalled in the state Senate. When legislators reconvened in January, the Senate passed it but House leaders shelved it until the final day of the legislative session.
“Lingle’s decision will be the last say on the proposal this year because state House leaders have said they won’t override any of the bills Lingle has vetoed.”
Read the full The Associated Press story >>
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HRC: “Hawaii Business Leaders Speak Out for Civil Unions Bill”
Jun 21st, 2010 01:57 PM By AdminThe following are excerpts from a press release by the Human Rights Campaign:
Some of Hawaii’s largest businesses [Thursday] spoke out in favor of the pending Civil Unions bill demonstrating that fairness is good for the economy and good for the community. The business push comes after the Hawaii Business Roundtable sent a letter to the Governor late last week urging a veto of the bill. HBR members made clear today that the organization was not speaking for its membership.
“America’s most successful businesses have been leaders in treating same-sex headed families with fairness and respect so it’s no surprise that they are speaking out loudly for civil unions in Hawaii,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Governor Lingle should follow these business leaders who know that enacting Civil Unions will attract and retain the best workforce possible and keep Hawaii’s homegrown talent in the state.”
Time Warner Cable Inc., the second largest cable company in the country whose subsidiary Oceanic Cablevision is a member of the HBR Executive Committee said in a statement:
“While we are active members of the Business Roundtable and believe it to be a beneficial organization for the people of Hawaii, we do not agree with every decision that the Roundtable makes. The letter to Governor Lingle urging her not to support House Bill 444 is one such instance. Time Warner Cable specifically prohibits all forms of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees and offers full equal benefits to all our employees. We support the efforts in the State of Hawaii to ensure that all its citizens, some of whom are Time Warner Cable employees, are treated with equality under the law.”
Aon Corp., an insurance and management consulting company and an HBR member said in a statement:
“Aon Corporation’s position has been and continues to be that we support domestic partnerships and civil unions. We fully support the Human Rights Campaign as noted in our participation in the annual Corporate Equality Index survey and our 100 percent rating. We are in the process of contacting and issuing a letter to the Hawaii Business Roundtable requesting that our name be removed from the letter that was sent to the Governor asking for the veto of the bill.”
Marsh & McLennan Companies Inc., a global professional services firm with significant presence in Hawaii and an HBR member said in a statement:
“The letter dated June 4, 2010 from the Hawaii Business Roundtable to Gov. Linda Lingle urging her to veto House Bill 444 does not represent the views of Marsh, Inc. or its parent company MMC (Marsh & McLennan Companies). MMC specifically prohibits all forms of discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender employees. We support the efforts in the State of Hawaii to ensure that all its citizens are treated with equality under the law.”
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. one of the largest global hotel and leisure companies and an HBR member said in a statement:
“While Starwood is a member of the Hawaii Business Roundtable, we do not support this letter and were not a signatory of this letter. To clarify our position, we contacted [HBR] to let them know that Starwood does not support the Executive Committee’s proposed veto of HB 444 and that Starwood should not in any way be associated with the Executive Committee’s June 4 request of the Governor.”
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