Subject: URGENT! Contact Your Representative! (fwd)
From: Mia H H Lam <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 13:14:44 -1000

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, 8 Apr 2000 13:01:16 -1000
From: Friends Of Marriage Project Hawaii <[email-masked]>
Subject: URGENT!  Contact Your Representative!

      The House Finance Committee has reported SB3176 to the House floor.  
The 3rd House floor vote will be this Tuesday, April 11.  

      Please urge your representative to vote "YES" on SB3176.  SB3176 is 
intended to make insurance available to "reciprocal beneficiaries" on the 
same basis as for heterosexual married couples.  In Hawaii, gay and lesbian 
people can register their domestic partnerships as "reciprocal 
beneficiaries".

      For Hawaii residents, to learn who your representative is, just send 
your home address (street no, street name, city, zip) to 
[email-masked]

Thank you for your help!  This may be the final vote in the House!

Tom Ramsey
President
Friends of Marriage Project Hawaii

PS  Here is how the House Finance Committee voted:
Yes---Takamine, Goodenow, Kanoho, Luke, Schatz, Fox
Yes, with reservations---Kawakami, Ahu Isa, Espero, Kahikina, Nakasone, 
Suzuki, Yamane, Marumoto
No---Meyer, Moses
Excused:  Catalani

The committee heard testimony from the Chamber of Commerce and some 
businesses, who wanted the scope of "reciprocal beneficiaries" limited 
somehow (not just some people who met over the internet, one of whom needed 
an emergency operation).  The committee amended the definition of 
"reciprocal beneficiaries" to also require that  "Each of the parties be 
residents of the state of Hawaii."