Subject: HAWAII, DEC. 9
From: [email-masked]
Date: Sat, 9 Dec 95 15:13:10 HST

COMMISSION APPROVES FINAL DRAFT

	Hawaii's Commission on Sexual Orientation met late Friday,
Dec. 8, and approved the final draft of their report.  By a vote of 5 to 2,
the commission recommends that the legislature accept same-gender marriages,
and suggests domestic partnerships if the first recommendation proves too
difficult to achieve.  The Commission is mandated to advise the legislature
on how, and to what extent, to end the discrimination against same-gender
couples which is currently caused by denying them marriage licenses.

	Copies of the full report will be available in a few weeks, from
                Legislative References Bureau
                State Capitol
                415 S. Beretania Street
                Honolulu, HI 96813
 
                              (808) 587-0662
                              (808) 587-0681 (fax)

Some pre-publication copies are being provided to legislative leaders
early next week, and a letter is being sent to a legislators to announce
the availability of the report.  The commission will meet again Wednesday,
Dec. 13, to review its records and approve minutes of meetings.  Basically,
it's research work is almost done.

	How to follow up on the Commission's recommendations is the subject
of active debate among Hawaii's gays and lesbians.  Most remain skeptical
that the Legislature will take the commission's advice, but feel that a
good faith effort to follow up on the recommendation is essential.  A gay
and lesbian political action group, the Alliance for Equal Rights, met
Thursday night to outline initial contacts to be made with legislators.
[The address of the AER is 2139 Chamberlain St., Honolulu HI 96822, and
the corresponding secretary is Tom Humphreys.]

	The key to opposition in the legislature is not yet known.  Certainly,
taking up a controversial issue just before an election is not a pleasant
prospect to most legislators.  Also, the Speaker of the House, Joe Souki
appointed two people to the commission with close ties to the Rutherford
Institute.  The Rutherford Institute opposes all aspects of gay rights,
whenever possible.  They also oppose abortion; once they volunteered to
defend the confessed assassin of an abortion doctor in Florida.  
The Rutherford Institute has an over-all goal of recreating a theocratic
state based upon the Old Testament (including criminalizing homosexuality).
Finally, Mormon opposition is more intense and sophisticated:  they've
hired Democratic party activist Linda Rosehill to lobby against the
commission's report.

	The legislature will have more than its share of controversial
issues this year.  Speaker Joe Souki is determined to muscle through some
form of legalized gambling, over strong opposition from some of the more
liberal legislators such as Jim Shon.  The over-arching theme of this
legislative session will be finances:  balancing the state's budget (which
is required by the Constitution), finding new sources of revenue, dealing
with a slower economy, plotting the future.  There will be considerable
controversy over insurance reform:  the great damage caused by Hurricane
Iniki on Kauai several years ago has upset the actuarial assumptions of the
major national insurers, leading to insurance being unavailable or
prohibitively expensive.  In addition, several public employee contracts
are up for renewal.  It will not be a quiet legislative session.

					Aloha!

					Tom Ramsey 
					Co-coordinator, HERMP

P.S.  The Hawaii Equal Rights Marriage Project, HERMP, is the sole support
of the work of Dan Foley on Baehr v. Lewin (Foley is the attorney who makes
all court appearances on behalf of the plaintiff couples).  Please be generous
in support of HERMP; Hawaii is a small state, and the tiny gay and lesbian
community here is very active in advocacy work which HERMP cannot address.
Donations to HERMP are fully tax-deductible, and should be made out to
GLCC/HERMP, 1820 University Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96822.
 
      The HERMP branch in Kona, on the Big Island, has produced a T-shirt
for sale.  One can send a check for $16.50 to HERMP, P.O.Box 902, Captain
Cook, HI 96704, together with a note about being sent a T-shirt (S, M, L,
XL, XXL).  It is also available in a tank top.  The design is multi-color
on white.  A large triangle points down, with the letters h.e.r.m.p above
the triangle, some male-male, female-female symbols in the border of the
triangle and some palm trees.  To place an email order for T-shirts, or
to obtain more information, please email [email-masked] [Skip Burns
in Kona].  Thank you!