UPDATE (January 22, 2010) SENATE PASSES HB 444 SD1
Senators who voted in FAVOR of HB 444:
Rosalyn Baker, Suzanne Chun Oakland, Kalani English, Carol Fukunaga, Brickwood Galuteria, Josh Green, Clayton Hee, Gary Hooser, David Ige, Les Ihara, Michelle Kidani, Russell Kokubun, Clarence Nishihara, Dwight Takamine, Brian Taniguchi, Jill Tokuda, Shan Tsutsui, Colleen Hanabusa
Those Senators who voted AGAINST HB 444:
Robert Bunda, Will Espero, Mike Gabbard, Fred Hemmings, Donna Mercado Kim, Norman Sakamoto, Sam Slom
UPDATE (January 20, 2010)
Various community leaders send letter to Senate President Colleen Hanabusa. (Click to read letter)
UPDATE (January 18, 2010)
The legislative session opens on January 21, 2010. We are asking people to be at the capitol on January 21, 2010, wearing white and the iVOTE buttons to fill the gallery.
Rally Flyer (updated 01/20/10) | Click here for PDF version of petition
HB 444 SD1 Carries over into 2010 legislature
UPDATE (May 7, 2009)
HB 444 SD1 passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 19. Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Espero. Noes, 5 (Senator(s) Bunda, Gabbard, Hemmings, Sakamoto, Slom). Excused, 1 (Senator(s) Kim).
A floor amendment is offered: Floor amendment adopted as amended (SD 1). Roll call Vote: Ayes, 16. Aye(s) with reservations: Senator(s) Bunda, Espero, Gabbard, Kim, Sakamoto. Noes, 9 (Senator(s) Baker, English, Fukunaga, Green, Hee, Hooser, Ige, Ihara, Kidani) Excused, 0 (none)
HB 444 Stalls in Senate. The civil unions bill (HB444) was pulled from the committee to the floor with ten votes (Senator(s) Baker, Chun Oakland, English, Fukunaga, Galuteria (with reservations), Hooser, Ige, Ihara, Kidani, Nishihara (with reservations). The Senators who voted against pulling the bill were: (Senator(s) Bunda, Espero, Gabbard, Green, Hanabusa, Hee, Hemmings, Kim, Kokubun, Sakamoto, Slom, Takamine, Taniguchi, Tokuda, and Tsutsui.).
Immediately following that vote, there was an amendment on the floor that was immediately proposed, voted on, and passed by a roll call vote of 16 (yes) – 9 (no). The 16 Senators who voted yes on the amendment were: Senator(s) Bunda (with reservations), Chun Oakland, Espero (with reservations), Gabbard (with reservations), Galuteria, Hanabusa, Hemmings, Kim (with reservations), Kokubun, Nishihara, Sakamoto (with reservations), Slom, Takamine, Taniguchi, Tokuda and Tsutsui. The nine Senators who voted against the amendment were: (Senator(s) Baker, English, Fukunaga, Green, Hee, Hooser, Ige, Ihara, and Kidani).
After that vote, the bill needed to be voted on for a third time (given 48 hour notice) but because time ran out, it would need to be taken up next session and then approved by the House (as amended) or taken to a conference committee consisting of both Senate and House members. What does this mean for us right now? For this year at least, the bill is on hold.
UPDATE (May 6, 2009)
We need you to do several things over the next few days:
1. Fill the Senate gallery (again) on the dates and times listed below: (WEAR YOUR RED SHIRTS)
Thursday, May 7th, at 9:00 & POSSIBLY Friday, May 8th at 10:00
2. Visit, e-mail or fax the Senators immediately. Some of the Senators, especially Senator Taniguchi, are wavering.
UPDATE (MAY 3, 2009) (Thanksgiving Assembly)
Thousands show up to pray and fellowship (see the picture below right). Please continue to visit the capitol every day this coming week (May 4 - 8, 2009) and wear your red shirts. Also, just a reminder to fax your completed petitions to us at (808) 261-7022 by Wednesday, May 6th.
UPDATE (APRIL 29, 2009)
Proponents of civil unions have submitted petition to the legislature which they claim represents over 7,000 signatures. Although we collected almost 10,000 signatures at the rally, (and several thousand more by individuals in churches during this whole process) we will collect signatures again.
Click here for PDF version of petition for distribution in churches during the weekend of May 1, 2009.
Fax completed petitions to: (808)261-7022 or send PDF version of completed petitions to our email. You may also fax your completed fax to Sen. Taniguchi's office at (808) 586-6461. Please let us know how many signatures you submit.
ONLINE PETITIONS HAVE BEEN CLOSED.
UPDATE (APRIL 23, 2009)
UPDATE (APRIL 13, 2009)
ACTION STEP 1: On Tuesday, April 14, 2009, show up at the Capitol and visit Senate offices and then sit in the Senate gallery wearing red shirts. The session tomorrow starts at 9:30 a.m. and will probably run through the afternoon.
ACTION STEP 2: Fill the gallery on Thursday, April 16, 2009 beginning 11:30 am.
ACTION STEP 3: Continue to e-mail, phone and fax the Senators and ask them to put HB 444 to rest!
APRIL 8, 2009 AT 11:30 AM SESSION
They would need to announce decision making and request a waiver of posting an advance notice...
If this is not done to day, there will be no time to do an amendment and we don't have to show up on Thursday...
WE NEED PEOPLE IN THE GALLERY WITH RED SHIRTS AT 11:30 AM
CONTINUE TO EMAIL, PHONE and VISIT Senators.
We are hearing that Sen. Taniguchi is going to discuss three amended versions of HB 444, the Civil Unions Bill with his committee to see if there is support for any of the proposed amended bills. We hear that they are also polling the other senators to see if there is support for a floor vote.
Show up in the Senate gallery, APRIL 8, AT 11:30 AM in RED SHIRTS for the possible scheduling of HB 444 FOR DECISION MAKING.
TANIGUCHI WILL NEED TO ASK FOR A WAIVER TO DO DECISION MAKING THAT AFTERNOON OR THURSDAY MORNING AT THE LATEST. IF THE DECISION MAKING MEETING IS SCHEDULED, WE NEED TO PACK THE ROOM FOR THAT HEARING WHICH WILL PROBABLY BE ON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON OR THURSDAY MORNING AS WELL.
