Calling it "marriage by another name," Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle has just announced that she will VETO her state's civil unions bill. Adding insult to her bigotry, invited to the announcement was the now-retired Hawaii Supreme Court Justice who first got the state's marriage equality ball rolling in 1993.
TAKE ACTION
Hawaii Chamber of Commerce - 808-545-4300
Hawaii Visitors & Conventions Bureau - 800-464-2924
UPDATE: The ACLU and Lambda Legal have announced plans to sue Hawaii.
Lambda Legal and the ACLU had readied a lawsuit after the House tabled HB 444 in January. The Hawai'i Senate had previously approved the bill by a veto-proof 18 to 7 majority and sent it back to the House for a conforming vote. "We're obviously disappointed that Governor Lingle has, once again, used her power to deny the people of Hawai'i their civil rights" said Laurie Temple, Staff Attorney for the ACLU. "Luckily for the people of Hawai'i, however, our constitution prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation. If the Governor won't honor her oath to uphold the constitution, the courts will."
MORE REACTIONS
Equality Hawaii:
“Today is a sad day for the thousands of Hawaii families who remain second class citizens,” said Alan Spector, legislative affairs co-chair for Equality Hawaii. “We fail to see how the Governor’s actions are in the best interest of Hawaii’s future and are nothing more than political maneuvering at the expense of people’s lives. We’re disappointed and outraged that same-sex families will not be treated equally under Hawaii law, but vow to come back and fight this fight another day.”
Human Rights Campaign:
“Americans nationwide share in the disappointment and outrage of thousands of Hawaii’s families who will not receive equal treatment under law,” said Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign. “Thankfully, there are local advocates as well as leaders in the Hawaii legislature who will continue to further the cause of equality. For decades, we have been a loyal partner in this fight for fairness in the Aloha State and we pledge to stand with them for years to come.”