Hawaii Kills Same-Sex Civil Unions Bill

(AP)  Hawaii lawmakers declined to vote Friday on a bill that would have allowed same-sex civil unions, effectively killing the measure.

The state House of Representatives decided to indefinitely postpone a decision on whether to grant gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits the state provides to married couples.

The state Senate had approved a civil unions bill last week. But House leadership wavered on pushing the controversial issue. Last year, 33 of 51 House members voted in favor of civil unions.

Civil union supporters in the crowded House gallery on Friday shouted, "Shame on you!" while opponents cheered.

"It's an election year, and they're more concerned about keeping their seats than doing what's right," said Stephen Nagle of Kaaawa, wearing a rainbow lei in support of civil unions.

Civil union opponent Rebecca Botello of Kaneohe, wearing a red "iVote" sticker, backed the lawmakers' move, saying, "I don't believe it's the right of the House or Senate to redefine what marriage is."

No roll call was taken on the decision to postpone the vote, which shielded representatives from having their position on the record. Instead, lawmakers shouted "aye" or "no," and Vice Speaker of the House Michael Magaoay then ruled that the motion to delay a vote had passed.

The voice vote defers further action on the bill unless two-thirds of lawmakers vote to reconsider it; otherwise, Hawaii's debate on the issue is over for this year.

Republican Gov. Linda Lingle had refused to say whether she would veto a civil unions bill if lawmakers had approved it.

Had a civil-unions bill been enacted, Hawaii would have joined California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington, all of which grant essentially all the rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself. Five other states permit same-sex marriage: Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

[likeitbe]

by Dgunner I am not gay nor do i support thier views of marriage rights . I know this to be a fact I was there. There is no such thing as predjudice in fox hole doring a fire fight
________________________________________________________________

Except that when he says, "I've got your backside"...watch out!!!

States should simply put this issue to a vote with a binding result for 10 years. If there is still interest in the issue, it should appear on the ballot once again after that period.

[Dgunner]

I am not gay nor do i support thier views of marriage rights . I know this to be a fact I was there. There is no such thing as predjudice in fox hole doring a fire fight as long as the gay soldier is up front and firing at the enemy. I had rather see a gay couple carrie a infant out of a adoption agency than see a aborted fetus carried to the creamatory.We baby our killers and kill our babies.

[CBSisCommunist5]

Those Tongans and Somoans just won't "accept" same sex unions...

[CBSisCommunist5]

looks like the Rainbow state does not want to be the "Rainbow" state

[CBSisCommunist5]

LIBERAL Hawaii said NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!

[HGOODGUY]

re chipsmydog truth 101

Don't you just love when all the 'God Guys" start telling you the truth according to them??

These people are deaf, blind and not too bright.

The Bible is a wonderful book that can inspire and comfort people but, like most fables, it belongs in the fiction part of the store!!

[cidaia]

The difference between adoption vs. what gay couples do:

-- Adopted couples take a child that has lost parents.
-- Gay couples make arrangements to have a child lose one or more of its parents.

-- Adopted couples are given the child by a judge whose ruling is supposed to be based entirely on the child's best interests.
-- Gay couples argue that the child's best interests should be COMPROMISED because gay rights matter more than the child's welfare.

-- babies given up for adoption are orphaned by accident. If someone got pregnant deliberately for the express purpose of selling that child, they'd be guilty of selling human flesh, or human trafficking
-- gay couples believe that being gay gives them the right to buy and sell human flesh.

-- adoption is justified by the claim that it's what is best for a child in those circumstances
-- adoption is justified by the idea that being gay gives you the right to reduce children to the status of commodity, because gay people have "special needs" and children must therefore adapt to what is "best for" (or at least desired by) their parents.

[klgrube1]

Thank you, Hawaii, for standing up for families and children! And I'm not speaking from a Biblical perspective, but from what sociologists and even history has told us is best for the success of our society. Children are important, and granting these rights is a step toward devaluing them and trying to make any adult relationships more important than real families. I'm just sorry the voters of Washington state decided that political correctness was more important than children and didn't strike down their 'anything but marriage' gay rights law.

[chipsmydog]

Truth 101
1) God Almighty is the source of objective moral truth.
2) God made man and woman: evolutionists can't explain how man evolved and even more so man and woman.
3) He said,"Be fruitful and multiply". Hence the different and complimentary anatomy.
4) God made man in His image. This image is elevated in worth and dignity by objective moral rules for the glory of God.
5) The Bible is God's Word to mankind and contains, among other things as important, the objective moral rules of God for mankind.
6) CLEARLY the Bible states many times, (Gen 1&2, Lev 18, Matt 19, Jude, Rm 1, for a start), that marriage is between a man and a woman and that if a man has a sexual relationship with a man as with a woman; it is an abomination in the eyes of God.

The problem that homosexuals have is that they don't want anybody, especially God, telling them what to do. Immoral people are rebellious and defiant towards God Almighty.

In as much as God always has the last word, this will always be true. Guaranteed.

[A_Moderate]

I love people who always claim to have the ONE AND ONLY DOGMATIC TRUTH - because in the end - they usually turn out to be sinners like me. Romans 3:23 I know I am a sinner - do you?

[mike18881]

You are so right,I'm so tired of people twisting th Bible around to fit thier needs. The Bible is straight foward, amarriage is between a man and a women, sex with the same sex is a abomination, same sex relationships goese againt th Lords will. GOD BLESS.

[dnamj]

People adopt children all the time, and people have shared responsibility with marriage all the time, and you know it. God I hate bigots who use this kind of crappy argument. The reason why bigots like you want to keep gay marriage illegal is because you want company in your closet. ****.

[A_Moderate]

Hard to argue with that! Well Said.

[door331]

if adoption is your only argument for being pro-gay marriage then a good compromise would be to give benefits only to gay couples who DO adopt. the fact is the majority dont and this raises more ethical questions about raising children in same sex homes.