Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 13:06:38 -0400 (EDT) From: Pierre H Minn Subject: Hawai`i News -- 17 April 1996 [Wed] (fwd) A little late, but.... -----------------------------------------------------------------------==:]>- Subject: SENATORS TO LET SAME-SEX BATTLE PLAY OUT A bill that would place the question of changing the state constitution to ban same-sex marriages on November's general election ballot is right back where it was just over a week ago. As a result, if there are enough votes in the full senate, it can now be brought to the floor and passed. Senate President Norman Mizuguchi had earlier referred the bill a second time, to the senate Health Committee. The move, Senate Judiciary Chair Rey Graulty said last week, was to make sure it would die with the end of the legislative session on April 29. The additional referral was protested by senate minority leader Michael Liu, who challenged Mizuguchi on Monday by saying his maneuver violated the state constitution. Mizuguchi had overruled the challenge, and Liu and another senator walked out in protest. Senate leaders yesterday rescinded the second committee referral. Now, if nine senators vote to do so, the bill can be pulled out of the Judiciary Committee. Then, it would take 17 votes for the full senate to pass it. Graulty said today that there's little chance it will happen. "This bill just refuses to die," Graulty said. "We'll just let the votes speak for themselves." Liu is confident that the bill has a chance of passing. Other senators say they're frustrated to see their peers expend so much time on just one issue. Liu insists the bill is an important one, saying that it has national implications. ============================================================================= This report is part of The Hawai`i NewsList family of internet features. It and a number of other Hawai`i-related items can be delivered directly to your e-mail address. Send a subscription request to listproc@hawaii.edu, with the text "SUBSCRIBE HI-NEWS-L Firstname Lastname" in the body of the message. ****************************************************************************** * To subscribe to QUEERLAW, send mail to: majordomo@abacus.oxy.edu * * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: subscribe queerlaw * * To unsubscribe to QUEERLAW, send mail to: majordomo@abacus.oxy.edu * * In the mail message, enter ONLY the words: unsubscribe queerlaw * * Words in the Subject: line are NOT processed! * ******************************************************************************