Lingle vetoes civil union bill

[davidinalameda]

Source: Star Advertiser

Religious conservatives celebrated the governor's decision, while disappointed gay rights activists will likely push for the bill again next year. Activists may also file a lawsuit against the state alleging that it has failed to provide gay and lesbian couples with a broad range of legal rights short of marriage.

Dozens of advocates and opponents gathered outside the state Capitol today for one final burst of lobbying. Supporters, many wearing rainbow-colored lei, boomed popular music over a sound system and waved flags symbolizing equality. Opponents, many dressed in white T-shirts, formed prayer circles and sang hymns.

The bill would have given same-sex and heterosexual couples the ability to enter into civil unions and receive the same rights, benefits and responsibilities as marriage under state law. Same-sex marriages, civil unions or domestic partnerships performed in other states would have been recognized as civil unions in Hawaii.

While religious conservatives and other opponents have equated civil unions to marriage, there are differences. Civil unions in Hawaii would not have been recognized under federal law or by other states or countries that do not have civil-unions laws. Civil unions would also not have had the same religious, cultural and social significance as marriage.

Read more: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/97904024.html

[David__77]

1. Unsurprising.

This does harm any chance she may have had to become a federal official however. Better to clear out the anti-gay wing of the Democrats and get full marriage anyway.

[msanthrope]

10. Lingle's a Republican. This is not the fault of the Dems. n/t

[David__77]

12. Many legislative Democrats are anti-gay.

Democrats have the numbers - by far - to override this, but for the right-wing anti-gay forces in their own ranks.

[davidinalameda]

15. like our current president?

maybe he would have tossed us the civil union bone but he certainly is anti-marriage

[David__77]

16. I don't think he would veto marriage rights.

Obama is anti-marriage rights, clearly, for opportunistic reasons - and I'm fine with that. But at least he stands behind "separate but equal." Those Hawaii Democrats who opposed this bill don't even support that - they stand for open inequality.

[xchrom]

2. Oy - it never stops. Nt

[Newsjock]

3. Deleted message

OK, because I'm really stupid and dense. My apologies.

[Pirate Smile]

4. She's a Republican.

A Republican Governor veto's a Bill and you blame the Democrats. :wtf: Just fucking typical for about a third of DU right now.

[sweetloukillbot]

5. Lingle is a Republican. n/t

[OmahaBlueDog]

8. No, you're not stupid - most would assume a Hawaii governor is a Dem

[davidinalameda]

14. just another example of people not reading before commenting

[Pirate Smile]

9. I know you deleted your message because you didn't realize she was a Republican but I wanted you to

know (because you are so down on Democrats) that in Iowa, where Gay marriage is now legal, Democrats in the legislature have prevented all bills to restrict, overturn, or put up for a referendum, gay marriage.

Iowa Dems may lose the Governorship and the legislature after the November election and I can promise you that Republicans will treat gay marriage very different from the Dems who currently control things.

People are getting ready to shoot themselves in the f#$king foot - more like in the head - by acting like it doesn't matter which party controls Congress or their Governorships or their state legislatures. The idea that both parties are the same is simply idiotic and so extremely counter-productive that I just can't believe people have reverted back to that after 18 months of a Dem POTUS and Congress after 8 years of a Republican Presidency with 6 of those including a Republican-controlled Congress.

edit to clarify - All Republicans running for Governor supported getting a Constitutional Amendment to Ban Gay Marriage put on the ballot. Dems have prevented this from happening and they could do so because we control everything but that will probably end after November's election.

[No Elephants]

31. LIghten up on yourself. You were mistaken about one fact. Big deal.

[OmahaBlueDog]

6. I know nothing about Hawaii politics -- are there votes to override?

[Freddie Stubbs]

11. No:

The civil unions bill passed by a vote of 18-7 in the Senate and 31-20 in the House, three votes shy of the two-thirds needed to override.

more: http://www.staradvertiser.com/news/20100703_veto_override_session_dead.html

[Politicalboi]

7. Says here she's Republican

Today is the deadline for the Republican governor, who leaves office in December, to veto House Bill 444, sign it into law or allow the measure to become law without her signature. The bill has been on Lingle's desk since shortly after lawmakers passed it in late April....

[McCamy Taylor]

13. Economy in the toilet and Hawaii wants to drive away tourists? Dipshits.

[FreeState]

17. Best twitter quoat on this...

@speechadvice - Lingle: "This decision should be made behind the CURTAIN of the voting booth" | I grew up in MS, they called that a SHEET

[KamaAina]

18. But, but, but it was time for a change!

:sarcasm:

That's why so many otherwise right-thinking people voted the prune-faced twit into office in the first place -- because the Dems had been in power for so long. :eyes:

[Grinchie]

19. Those damned Dirty Democrats.... (See Senator Inouye)

Yes, I said it.. Military Industrial Complex Vunderkind that is third in line to become president.

In Hawaii, the corruption is the norm, since it sucks on the teat of the Military Industrial Complex so vigorously. The state of Hawaii is the primary testing grounds for GMO, simply because of it's stature as the most Isolated Archipelago on Earth. If horrific GMO hybrids were to escape here, it wouldn't infect the mainland crops. It's that simple.

It is estimated that if the shipments of food from the mainland were to stop, the state would start to suffer from malnutrition in 7 days. The reason? Becasue Hawaii is focused on cash crops like Coffee and Mac Nuts, and Papaya, while the real nutrition is short in supply...

You think that the designation by Bush of the Northwestern Hawaiian Island Chain as a National Historic Monument was for warm fuzzies? No, it was for the unfettered access of the Navy to hide submarines anywhere they wanted to, and exclude any onlookers from seeing any evidence.

I challenge all to see what it takes to get a permit to enter these "protected" waters, that used to be own by Hawaiians free and clear.

Hawaii is a massive example of Adverse Possession performed by a Country called the United States.

[CreekDog]

20. Hawaii gov. vetoes same-sex civil unions bill

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Hawaii's governor on Tuesday vetoed legislation that would have permitted same-sex civil unions, ending months 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 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-gender marriage, and find that House Bill 444 is essentially marriage by another name."

...

She said voters should decide the fate of civil unions, not politicians.

"The subject of this legislation has touched the hearts and minds of our citizens as no other social issue of our day," Lingle said. "It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials."

...

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.

...

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2010/07/06/national/a152133D54.DTL&tsp=1

---

Maybe Governor Lingle's civil rights and freedom's should be put up to popular vote.

If I could vote to take away hers alone, I would do so since she doesn't seem to appreciate that civil rights are granted by the constitution.

:rant:

[Starry Messenger]

21. And people just say we could change the name and everything would be peachy.

It's not the word "marriage" that is the issue, sadly. Disgusting decisions like this one are proof of that.

[tomm2thumbs]

22. it's true - and this proves the point

[CreekDog]

25. no doubt argued by people who claim to be victimized and without their religious civil rights

do they want them put to a vote as well?

[Starry Messenger]

26. I've seen a few people try to argue it here.

I'm not sure if it was on religious grounds or not. I think some would like to think there is a safe pragmatic compromise position that would be more "acceptable" than the "extreme" of marriage. But when pressed on the question of what other civil rights issues we should be or should have been "safe" on, they scurry from the issue. It's sad that something like this has to happen to show that this "safe" position is extremely vulnerable as well. When you start from a higher point of negotiation, then the outcome will probably be higher then starting lower and wishing for the best.

[ProudDad]

23. I was appalled when this person was "elected" gov of Hawai'i

a republican governor of Hawai'i...it's a sacrilege...

And this "decision" a mealy-mouthed, religionist, cop-out by a coward!

[TwentyFive]

24. Republicans have a reputation to keep up...as haters and bigots.

A vote for a republican...is a vote for hate. This has been proven so many times, that Republican=Hate has become almost cliche.

[dickthegrouch]

27. My rage knows no limits when I hear this kind of BS

Another perfectly good State crossed off my vacation list.

I call on equality minded people to boycott Hawaii.

[sakabatou]

28. Damn.

[Indianademocrat91]

29. Separation of Church and State!!!!

Once again Repugs piss on the Constitution on religious grounds.

[opihimoimoi]

30. I did my best to warn.....to no avail

[No Elephants]

32. In Massachusetts, the GLBT community and its supporters campagined AGAINST civil union legislation.

To review, the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts held that refusing legal recognition of same gender relationships violated the state Constitution, a decision that could not be appealed to the SCOTUS. HOWEVER, the SJC gave the state legislature six months to act on the decision.

Although civil union legislation, then already law in Vermont, initially seemed destined to pass, both neo-theos and GLBT advocates opposed civil union legislation, a calculated risk on the part of GLBT advocates.

The Legislature did nothing about the SJC decision for two sessions. Under Mass. law, that meant not only that the SJC decision would stand because the six months stated in the decision itself had expired, but also that the Legislature could not introduce an amendment to the State Constitution to overrule the SJC decision.

Bottom line: Correct result by default. However, Constitutional rights should not be decided by legislators or by voters.

[KamaAina]

34. Hawai'i had a similar court decision years ago

but just like in CA, the same unholy alliance of the Catholic and Mormon churches rammed through a Prop H8-style constitutional amendment. So actual marriage equality isn't on the table there, and won't be for years to come.

Did I mention that my favorite human being desiresd to be married on Maui, and that the current prospect is female?

[IronLionZion]

33. VIDEO:

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/07/06/hawaii.civil.unions.veto/index.html