Everything seemed to be in place for the State of Hawai`i to establish civil unions this year.
The State House of Representatives easily passed the legislation in February and sent it to the State Senate, where Democrats hold a 23-2 advantage. The state Democratic Party platform supports civil unions, as does the public.
But things quickly changed, as briefly explained below.
The Senate charged with reviewing the legislation was deadlocked 3-3, and today the Senate defeated an effort to pull the bill out committee. The legislation is essentially dead, at least for this year.
Statewide, church-led protests against civil unions have been taking place for weeks and weeks. They worked.
I wrote several diaries on this subject as the fight was raging. Now that it's over, I'm not sure what else to say. But I think it will be interesting to see what the fallout will be in Hawai`i's 2010 election cycle, which is already in the works. Open seats will be available for Governor, Lt. Governor, and Congress (HI-01). Sen. Colleen Hanabusa, a rumored gubernatorial candidate, presided over and supported today's action.
Reaction has been swift:
It was a great day for some people -
Opponents of civil unions bill celebrate in the rotunda.
Others are devastated, calling the Senate's vote a "failure of compassion, empathy, and bravery."