Hawaii House Judiciary Committee Approves Amended Civil Unions Bill

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports that the Hawaii House Judiciary Committee voted 11-2 Tuesday night to approve a civil unions bill with amendments to ensure that the relationships are recognized in the tax code and are under the jurisdiction of family court. Senate Bill 232 would allow same sex and opposite sex couples to enter into civil unions and to receive the same rights, benefits, and responsibilities as those afforded marriage under state law. The amendments – recommended by the state Attorney General’s Office – mean that if approved by the House, the bill must return to the state Senate, which passed a different version in December, before heading to Governor Neil Abercrombie. Representative Gil Keith-Agaran (Democrat-Kahului-Paia), chair of the House Judiciary Committee, said "It's still fast-tracked. I think the Senate now has the opportunity just to agree to these amendments that probably should have been considered when it was first passed. I think they are reasonable amendments. I think the bill itself was legally sufficient, as the Attorney General said, but I think these clarifying amendments will be helpful.” The House could vote on the bill as early as this week or next. Both the House and Senate must agree on the final language of the bill before it can be sent to the governor.