HB444 Waits on Lingle
In the last month, several bills have passed through the Hawaii legislature that have left me with mixed feelings. I want to use my blog to share some of my thoughts.
HB444 – Hawaii Civil Unions
In a dramatic opening legislative session House Speaker Calvin Say lead the Hawaii Legislature to an anonymous vote of HB444, which effectively tabled the bill indefinitely and struck at the heart of democracy since representatives couldn’t be help accountable for their votes. For those that are unfamiliar, HB444 allows any adult couple the same legal rights and benefits the state provides to those who marry. This was a cowardly move as its only purpose was to shield representatives from being help accountable for their vote, regardless of which way that voted.
While I am a supporter of HB444, I can understand and respect representatives that would choose to vote against HB444. However, democracy has failed when a publicly elected official’s vote cannot be recorded and associated to them. Without that record, there is no way for the public to hold that official accountable for their views and their votes. HB444 will affect the lives of thousands of Hawaii residents, and it is our right as Hawaii residents and US citizens to know where our representatives stand and vote on issues.
After a significant amount of political pressure both within Hawaii and Nationally, HB444 went to a vote on April 29th, 2010, and the Hawaii legislature approved Civil Unions in a 31-20 vote. We now wait for Governor Lingle to approve the bill or abstain from voting and allowing the bill to pass into law without her blessing. While Lingle has publicly said she would not veto a Civil Unions bill if it passed across her desk, thousands of gay and lesbian Hawaii residents eagerly wait for HB444 to pass into law and gain the same rights that are afforded straight married couples.
Next post: SB2001 and SB2401 – Terminating High Tech Tax Credits
“Follow the path of the unsafe, independent thinker. Expose your ideas to the dangers of controversy. “
-Thomas J. Watson
