Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Hawaii Senate Panel Advances Gay Marriage Bill


A proposed gay marriage bill in Hawaii cleared an initial hurdle in the Senate on Monday.
After a marathon hearing that last nearly 12 hours, the Senate Judiciary Committee approved the marriage bill with a 5-2 vote.
The measure now heads for a second reading among the full Senate on Tuesday.
Senators Mike Gabbard, a Republican-turned-Democrat, and Sam Slom, a Republican, voted against the bill. Slom said that the debate has caused division in Hawaii.
Roughly 1,800 people signed up to testify in person at Monday's hearing and another 4,000 pages of written testimony were submitted ahead of the hearing.
Governor Neil Abercrombie, a Democrat, has pledged to sign the marriage bill, if approved by lawmakers.

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