Subject: Another Super ALERT - State Supreme Court Rules!!!
From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 1997 21:24:35 -0500 (EST)

Alert and Report by the Hawaii Gay Marriage Project

Aloha Folks,

Hawaii is just full of extra special news today.  This last item comes from
"Johnny on the Spot" Martin Rice via Kauai via Hawaii State Supreme Court.
 Martin has been calling every day to check on status of the court challenge
to the Constitutional Convention vote back in November 1996.

Well, the ruling is in.  THERE WILL BE NO CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION!!

The Hawaii State Supreme Court ruled that the simple majority was not reached
because the actual NO votes plus the Blank votes were not less than the YES
votes.

They ruled that the vote for a constitutional convention was to be counted in
the same manner as for constitutional amendments which requires a simple
majority voting yes over all other types of votes (No votes plus Blank
votes).  The language was somewhat questionable, but not clarified by this
decision.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR THE SAME-SEX MARRIAGE ISSUE?

Our reading of this based upon numerous and lengthy discussions with
legislators, constitutional experts, and even public relations people, is
that the heat will now be solely directed to legislators by those who want to
slow down the final legal marriage ruling by the Hawaii State Supreme Court.

With a constitutional convention on the table, there was less directed force
to legislative action because there was always the convention to deal with
that. It would also mean there would be more time to help understand all the
issues involved before any change of the constitution would be contemplated.

However, with the elimination of the constitutional convention as an
alternative, those who want to slow down the final decision by the Hawaii
State Supreme Court (where the appeal now lies) will likely push as hard as
they can to get some legislative action by end of legislative session 1998.
  There will be a push to do that in this part of the session, but because
there is the requirement that any proposed amendment be voted on at next
general election in 1998 there is still another legislative issue to address
it.

NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT FOLKS.  We now must communicate, support and impress
the legislators to not pass out any constitutional amendment.   The
Constitution is for everyone - that is what equal protection means.

Do good - more to come.

Bill
Hawaii Gay Marriage Project
GLEA Foundation

Donations to:  GLEA Foundation, P.O.  Box 37083, Honolulu, HI  96837