From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu
Date: Mon, 3 Feb 97 18:35:56 HST
Subject: HAWAII FEB 3

		SENATE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE REPORTS OUT TWO BILLS:
	                 HB 117 SD 1 and HB 118 SD 1

	The Senate Judiciary Committee removed all the text of the House
draft (HB 117 HD 1) and replaced it with the text of SB 1800; it then
approved the new draft 4 to 2 with one Senator not voting.  Here is the 
constitutional language of SB 1800:
                        "MARRIAGE
        The State shall have the power to regulate and
        define the institution of marriage, including the reservation of
        marriage to couples of the opposite sex; provided that this
        reservation shall be effective only if the laws of the State
        ensure that the application of this reservation does not deprive
        any person of civil rights on the basis of sex."

	The Committee took the list of "reciprocal beneficiary" benefits
in HB 118 HD 1, together with the different list of benefits
in SB 98 (for a total of about 7 benefits), and merged them with some
editing to produce HB 118 SD 1.  The text should be available on the
internet within a day.  This also passed 4 to 2 with one Senator not voting.

	All other bills on the agenda were held:  SB 36, SB 96, and SB 912
by the vote of 4-2-1.  SB 98, SB 795, and SB 1800 were held by a vote
of 6-0-1.

	The Senator excused from voting was the Republican, Whitney
Anderson.  The majority of four was formed by Senators Matsunaga, Chumbley,
McCartney, and Metcalf [Sen. Metcalf was appointed Saturday to replace
Senator Richard Matsuura of Hilo; Sen. Matsuura has resigned for health
reasons.]  The minority of two consisted of Senators Bunda and Sakamoto.

	Full committee reports will be available within a day on the
internet.  To follow the story in the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, the
state's afternoon daily paper, use the WEB site
      http://starbulletin.com/specials/samese.html

					Best Regards,


					Tom Ramsey
					Marriage Project-Hawaii

		
		h.e.r.m.p CHANGES ITS NAME TO
		   Marriage Project-Hawaii

	Effective today, h.e.r.m.p has changed its name to
Marriage Project- Hawaii.  It is still a project of the GLCC
(Gay and Lesbian Community Center), and fully tax-deductible with
the same tax ID and team as before .  The name change is fully endorsed
by Dan Foley, the Hawaii attorney for the marriage case.  Marriage
Project-Hawaii remains the only organization that pays Dan Foley's fees.
Dan Foley asks that all tax-deductible contributions be sent
to             Marriage Project-Hawaii
               PO Box 11690
               Honolulu, HI 96828.