Tag Archives: civil unions

Final floor vote on HB444, “Relating to Civil Unions”

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It was a quick check of news updates on the Honolulu Advertiser web site that gave me the news on the attempt to pull HB444 up for another House vote. I didn’t check when it had been posted, but called down to the capitol and discovered House members were still in caucus, so it seemed like there was a chance to get there in time to witness the vote.

I called Meda, who had the car, and she left UH, picked me up, and we headed downtown. We found a place to park down by the post office, and were headed across the Iolani Palace grounds when a text message let me know they were back in session and preparing to vote. There was a light rain as we hustled past the palace and up the stairs to the capitol and entered the House gallery. There were quite a few people, but I wouldn’t have called it crowded.

The good news was that I had a camera in hand. The bad news is that I haven’t used its video feature enough to be comfortable with it. I managed to start the video rolling and caught the entire roll call vote. But I missed one critical step–Focus! So, unfortunately, it’s a little fuzzy. Maybe you can pretend that you’re watching the proceedings through tears of joy or, well, the opposite.

In any case, here’s the vote, as it happened.

And notice the strange silence after the vote was over and the results announced. There was no joyous outburst. Instead, it was quite subdued, almost a stunned silence, as if the count had been misheard.

Henry Curtis (Life of the Land) was also there and did a video showing more of the proceedings (available on Vimeo).

Wednesday…The morning after a Thai meal, Gov. Lingle stumbles, civil unions bill close to passing House, another Oklahoma tornado, and walking before dawn

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[text]We had dinner with friends last night at Restaurant Row’s Payao Thai Restaurant, one of our few “regular” spots. I had my camera along but didn’t think to put it to use until we had done some serious eating.

All dishes were ordered “hot” which, as everyone knows, is really a notch or two below “Thai hot”. As my mother might ask, “are those red things peppers?” The short answer, yes. Hot peppers. And enough of them to do some damage, which I’m feeling the aftermath of at this stage of the morning.

I’m still trying to figure out what’s going on with Gov. Lingle these days. First she blows off the initial meeting between governors and Obama, saying she’s just too busy. Then she declines to join other governors in lobbying for a stimulus bill that includes substantial aid to the states, despite facing a budget meltdown at home that would be dramatically improved if that federal money came through. And facing high budget anxiety, her administration has yet to propose a budget plan to cope with falling revenue, instead asking the Legislature to push back its deadlines and essential be forced to rush through the process at the end of the session. And the Advertiser’s Peter Boylan tells us Lingle was again “too busy” to meet with the NFL commissioner for some serious one-on-one regarding bringing the Pro Bowl back to the islands.

What in the world is she thinking?

House Bill 444, that would provide civil unions in Hawaii, passed second reading on the House floor yesterday and was placed on the calendar for third reading with just 10 members voting “no”. Seven Democrats joined three Republicans in voting against the measure, which now seems almost certain to be sent over to the Senate.

I’m sure there’s a mention of the vote somewhere in today’s newspapers, although a quick Google search of online news failed to turn up anything.

The commitee report accompanying HB 444 details those testifying for and against the bill. It probably reads a lot like a preview of the 2010 gubernatorial election lineup.

A member of the Board of Education, the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Hawaii State AFL-CIO, Hawaii Government Employees Association, Hui O Mana Ka Pu’uwai Outrigger Canoe Club, TriKauai Triathalons, Holy Innocents Episcopal Church, Planned Parenthood of Hawaii, “I Do” Weddings, Profile Video Productions, Kauai Island Weddings, Screen Actors Guild Hawaii Branch, First Unitarian Church of Honolulu, Family Equality Coalition, Interfaith Alliance Hawaii, Waikiki Neighborhood Board, National Association of Social Workers – Hawaii, Legislative Committee of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, Gregory House Programs, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, Pride Hilo, Progressive Democrats of Hawaii, Children of Lesbians and Gays Everywhere, Da Moms, Kauai Wedding Professional Association, Japanese American Citizens League – Honolulu Chapter, Hawaii Friends of Civil Rights, Life Foundation, Americans for Democratic Action/Hawaii, Hawaii Women’s Political Caucus, PFLAG – Oahu, American Friends Service Committee, Filipino American Citizens League, League of Women Voters of Hawaii, American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii, Nursing Advocates & Mentors, Inc., Pride At Work Hawaii, Hawaii State Democratic Women’s Caucus, Hawaii HIV/AIDS Community Planning Group – Steering Committee, University of Hawaii Professional Assembly, Advocates For Consumer Rights, GLBT Caucus of the Democratic Party, and a multitude of concerned individuals supported this bill.

The Office of the Lieutenant Governor, Hawaii Family Forum, Christian Voice of Hawaii, Hawaii Christian Coalition, Pro-Family Hawaii, Beth Israel Ministries, Good News Jail & Prison Ministry, Christians in Real Estate, ACTS Foundation, Fiction Readers, Grace 4U Ministries, Fishnet Ministries, Brother Ben Prison Ministries, River of Life Mission, SADAKA International Dance Company, Island Women Restore Lives, Victory Ohana Prison Ministries, Sons of Issacar, Christ Centered Consulting, Market Place Ministries, Youth Vision, Christian Voice of Hawaii, International Dance Academy, The Open Door Academy, Windward Spouse Abuse Shelter, Ho`olohe Pono, Heart Light Ministries, Mercy Ministries International, Shelter of Wisdom, It’s All His, It’s All God’s Ministry, Surfing the Nation, Dads Against Drugs, A2 Media, Hawaii Helps Disabilities, Waikiki Beach Outreach, HE Reigns Christian Network, and numerous concerned individuals opposed this measure.

News of another series of deadly tornadoes in Oklahoma caught our attention. Meda is a survivor of the Woodward tornado of 1947, still ranked as the deadliest tornado in Oklahoma history and one of the deadliest in U.S. history.

[text]I’m not quite sure why I’m carrying a camera during our early morning walk these days. It’s still dark through most of the walk, and doesn’t yet start getting much light until we’re well on the return path towards home. This was the scene when we got to the end of the beach in Kaaawa yesterday and turned around to head back home. Not much to be seen. But under some conditions, the sky can explode with color 30 to 40 minutes before dawn, and I feel like I just have to be prepared. Just in case.