Subject: Vermont Legislature Sends "Civil Unions" To The Governor!!!! (fwd)
From: Mia H H Lam <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 26 Apr 2000 08:23:13 -1000

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 19:21:54 -1000
From: Friends Of Marriage Project Hawaii <[email-masked]>
Subject: Vermont Legislature Sends "Civil Unions" To The Governor!!!!

     The Vermont House approved today (April 25) the Senate's version of 
the "Civil Unions" bill.  The bill now goes to Vermont's governor, who has 
said that he will sign the bill into law.  To read Mary Bonauto's letter 
about it, click on the Marriage Project Hawaii web site and look for the 
link near the top of the opening page:
http://members.tripod.com/~MPHAWAII/

     The bill proposes 3 categories:  heterosexual marriage, "civil unions" 
for lesbian and gay couples, and "reciprocal beneficiaries" for blood 
relatives in need of some economic protections.  The bill is a major step 
forward for lesbian and gay couples.  It is short of marriage but closely 
comparable to marriage in Vermont's state law.  It does not confer any 
status (immigration, income tax, social security, etc.) under the control 
of the federal government.  How it ports across state lines will probably 
be tested by couples in many ways.  Also, some of the complex interactions 
with federal law (e.g., in regards to retirement benefits, health 
insurance, etc.) will no doubt raise issues that may have to be answered by 
the courts.

     How does it compare with Hawaii's "reciprocal beneficiaries"?  There 
are similarities and differences.  Marriage Project Hawaii definitely wants 
to imitate Vermont's decision to separate gay and lesbian couples from 
heterosexual couples (typically blood relatives), with different terms 
("civil unions" versus RB's).

     Hawaii's RB status is significantly different several aspects:  
"divorce" for RB's in Hawaii is a simple matter of declaration (by just one 
of the persons); in Vermont, divorce for "civil unions" will be comparable 
to divorce for married couples.  RB status in Hawaii has almost nothing to 
do with family court:  joint custody of children, etc. (although, in a 
sealed court case, a lesbian couple in Hawaii obtained joint adoption of a 
child!).

     195 pages of Hawaii Revised Statutes cover the laws that somehow 
impact on RB's in Hawaii.  All of these have been posted to the Marriage 
Project Hawaii web site.

A great day!

Tom Ramsey
President, Friends of Marriage Project Hawaii

PS.  Do you know someong who is going to the Millenial March on Washington? 
 If they'd like to meet the Hawaii folks there, contact Tom Humphreys and 
Alan Wang at [email-masked]