January 17, 1997

Terrance Tom Schedules House Hearings On Constitutional Amendment
Jan. 21, 1997, 2 PM

From Dan Foley:

Representative Terrance Tom, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, has scheduled a hearing on HB 117 for Tuesday, January 21, at 2 pm in the Capitol Auditorium.  HB 117 would amend Hawaii's constitution to give the Legislature the power to limit marriage to opposite-sex couples.  The full text of HB 117 is appended (thank you, Martin Rice, for making it available!).

Hawaii residents:  please submit testimony ASAP to Room 302 of State Capitol (Honolulu HI 96813) Testimony may be faxed to the House Sergeant at Arms to 586 6501 (from Oahu) or 1800 535 3859 (neighbor islands).  Testimony should be short, sweet, and personal if you can make it personal.  BE POLITE!

Non Hawaii residents:  Martin Rice, in his message below, suggests holding back.  You can however continue to send messages to the Governor about how much money you plan to spend here on your next visit (or on your wedding?).  Address for the governor:  Gov. Ben Cayetano Hawaii State Capitol, Honolulu, HI 96813
 

                        Witness to the truth!

                        Tom Ramsey
                        President, Friends of h.e.r.m.p
 

From Martin Rice on Kauai (lambda@aloha.net):

Following is the text of the Constitutional Amendment relating to marriage and calling for a ballot question defining marriage as an institution reserved for one man and one woman as introduced into consideration by the Hawaii House of Representatives.  PLEASE:  Out-of-state responses will not be considered.  Do not tie up state faxes; local testimony needs to get through.

Hawaii residents please remember:  to respond to specific items, you should list the bill number, the page and line number to which you refer.  On your fax cover page, ask the Sergeant-at-Arms to make enough copies for the House Judiciary Committee (13) and distribute accordingly.  Oahu fax:  586-6501; Neighbor Island fax:  1-800-535-3659.

NOTICE TO OTHER CLIPPERS:  PLEASE DO NOT REFORMAT IF RE-BROADCASTING AS HAWAII RESIDENTS MAY NEED TO TAKE HARD COPIES FOR REFERENCE.

Mahalo,

Martin
 
 


HOUSE BILL NO. 117 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                       H.B.      NO.117 
NINETEENTH LEGISLATURE. 1997 
STATE OF HAWAI`I 
 

A BILL FOR AN ACT: 
PROPOSING A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT RELATING TO MARRIAGE. 
 
 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAI`I: 
 

  1.         SECTION 1.     The purpose of this Act is to propose an
  2. amendment to article 1, section 5, of the Constitution of the
  3. state of Hawai`i to clarify that statutes, regulations, laws,
  4. rules, orders, decrees, and legal doctrines that define or
  5. regulate marriage, the parties to marriage, or the benefits of
  6. marriage shall not be deemed in violation of this section or any
  7. other section of this Constitution by virtue of a limitation of
  8. the marriage relationship to the union of only one man and one
  9. woman.
  10.     The legislature finds that the unique social institution of
  11. marriage involving the legal relationship of matrimony between a
  12. man and a woman is a protected relationship of fundamental and
  13. unequaled importance to the State, the nation, and society.  The
  14. legislature further finds that the question of whether or not to
  15. issue marriage licenses to couples of the same sex is a
  16. fundamental policy issue to be decided by the elected
  17. representatives oF the people and not by judicial fiat.  This
  18. constitutional measure is thus designed to ensure that these
  19. fundamental policy issues remain the province of the legislature
Page 2                                  H.B. NO. 117 
  1. as the elected representatives oF the people and to further
  2. ensure that the legislature will remain open to the petitions of
  3. those who seek a change in the marriage laws, and that such
  4. petitioners can be considered on an equal basis with those who
  5. oppose a change in our current marriage statutes.
  6.         SECTION 2.   Article I, section 5, of the Constitution of the
  7. state of Hawai`i is amended to read as follows:
  8.                   "DUE PROCESS AND EQUAL PROTECTION
  9.         Section 5.   No person shall be deprived of life, liberty or
  10. property without due process of law, nor be denied the equal
  11. protection of the laws, nor be denied the enjoyment of the
  12. person's civil rights or be discriminated against in the exercise
  13. thereof because of race, religion, sex or ancestry.
  14. Statutes, regulations, laws, rules, orders, decrees and
  15. legal doctrines that define or regulate marriage, The parties to
  16. marriage, or the benefits of marriage shall not be deemed in
  17. violation of this section or any other section of this
  18. constitution by virtue of a limitation of the marriage
  19. relationship, to the union of only one man and one woman."
  20.         SECTION 3.   The question to be printed on the ballot shall
  21. be as follows:
  22.     "Shall the due process and equal protection clause, Article
  23.     I, section 5,  of the Constitution of the State of Hawai`i be
Page 3                                            H.B. 117 
  1.     amended to specify that statutes, regulations, laws, rules,
  2.     orders, decrees and legal doctrines that define or regulate
  3.     marriage, the parties to marriage, or the benefits of
  4.     marriage shall not be deemed in violation of the section or
  5.     any other section of the Constitution by virtue of a
  6.     limitation of the marriage relationship to the union of only
  7.     one man and one woman?"
  8.         SECTION 4.   New constitutional material is underscored.
  9.         SECTION 5,   This amendment shall take effect upon compliance
  10.     with article XVII, section 3, of the Constitution of the State of
  11.     Hawai`i.
  12.                             INTRODUCED BY:  /s/ Joe Souki
[29 other signatures follow] 

HB LRB 97-1756 
 

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