Hawaii Senate approves civil unions by 18-7 vote

Honolulu Star Bulletin: “House Bill 444 cleared the state Senate yesterday on an 18-7 vote. It now goes to the House, which supported the bill last year but is now not promising passage . . . If the bill clears the House or a joint House-Senate conference committee and goes to Gov. Linda Lingle, its fate is unknown because Lingle has never expressed an opinion on the bill . . . But [House Speaker] Say said he would only proceed if the House had the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto by the governor.”