Tag Archives: State: Hawaii

Catholic Culture: A state law in Hawaii may form the basis for a compromise between the Obama administration and the US Catholic bishops on the mandate to include contraceptive coverage in health-care plans.

CNET News: Hawaii’s legislature is weighing an unprecedented proposal to curb the privacy of Aloha State residents: requiring Internet providers to keep track of every Web site their customers visit.

Greeley Gazette: While the exemptions state that no one is required to certify the partnership, the question is; does that apply to an equal access use of the church, synagogue or mosque’s facilities? Some homosexual activist groups are saying that when the church opens up its facilities it is engaging in commerce and becomes subject to anti-discrimination laws.

U.S. District Judge Michael Seabright denied this afternoon a request by two churches for a restraining order to block a law that goes into effect Sunday permitting same-sex couples to enter civil unions.

ADF at LifeNews.com: Depressed patients need understanding and sound medical treatment, not encouragement to kill themselves. State law reflects this, and no one should believe the recent falsehoods that pro-death proponents have spread about the law. The Hawaii attorney general has clearly concluded that state law does not permit doctor-prescribed death and that any physician who participates in it can be prosecuted,” said Honolulu attorney Jim Hochberg, one of nearly 2,100 attorneys in the ADF alliance.

WorldNetDaily: “Depressed patients need understanding and sound medical treatment, not encouragement to kill themselves. State law reflects this, and no one should believe the recent falsehoods that pro-death proponents have spread about the law. The Hawaii attorney general has clearly concluded that state law does not permit doctor-prescribed death and that any physician who participates in it can be prosecuted,” said Honolulu attorney Jim Hochberg, one of nearly 2,100 ADF attorneys.

ADF Allied Attorney Jim Hochberg appeared on the Michael Medved Show to discuss the suit in Hawaii that lesbians have filed against a bed and breakfast. | MP3 audio 33:53 mins

NYTimes.com: And the Republican Party suddenly has a shot of picking up a United States Senate seat that has been in Democratic hands for more than 30 years, with the announcement by Linda Lingle, a Republican former governor, that she will seek the seat held by Senator Daniel K. Akaka, the retiring Democrat.

Doctor-prescribed death is illegal under Hawaii law despite what a pro-death group has argued, according to a newly authored legal opinion issued by Hawaii Attorney General David Louie to Sen. Josh Green, M.D.

Education News: Hawaii’s Charter School Review Panel has “misinterpreted state law and minimized its role in the system’s accountability structure”, says an audit of the state’s charter school system, writes Katherine Poythress at Honolulu Civil Beat.

Newsday (AP): Reached by phone, owner Phyllis Young declined to comment and referred questions to her attorney. Honolulu attorney Jim Hochberg said he is representing her on behalf of the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization of attorneys representing people whose religious freedom is infringed. He said he hadn’t yet seen the complaint.

Hawaii News Now: The B and B’s attorney, Jim Hochberg, says he hasn’t seen the suit so he cannot comment. Lambda Legal says it hasn’t been able to find a license permitting Aloha Bed and Breakfast to operate . . . Hochberg says he’s defending Young with the help of the Alliance Defense Fund.

Newser: Reached by phone, owner Phyllis Young declined to comment and referred questions to her attorney. Honolulu attorney Jim Hochberg said he is representing her on behalf of the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization of attorneys representing people whose religious freedom is infringed. He said he hadn’t yet seen the complaint.

Lambda Legal: “Lambda Legal filed a discrimination lawsuit today in the First Circuit Court of Hawai’i on behalf of a lesbian couple rejected by a commercial business establishment, Aloha Bed & Breakfast, because of the owner’s personal antigay beliefs.” | Complaint: Cervelli v. Aloha Bed & Breakfast

Natasha N. Jackson and Janin Kleid said in their lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court Wednesday that they tried to get a marriage license on Nov. 18 but the state Health Department denied them one because they are both women.

James Hochberg at Honolulu Star-Advertiser: On Oct. 5, state Rep. Blake Oshiro hosted a panel discussion on the legality of doctor-assisted suicide in Hawaii. The keynote speaker for the discussion was attorney Kathryn Tucker, director of legal affairs for Compassion & Choices, an advocacy group intent on convincing our population of the legality of doctor-prescribed death for terminally ill patients within the state. With her was the president of that group, Barbara Combs Lee.

Hawaii News Now (includes video): Tess and Jamie Meier walked out of District Court, accompanied by their attorneys after their arraignment. Back in August, the two were protesting gender equality rights along Kalakaua avenue, by going topless. | ACLU press release

Washington Post: The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a dispute over whether to identify students challenging a private school system’s admissions policy that gives preference to those of Hawaiian ancestry.

Honolulu Star: The appeals court said Justice sought the review under the state open-records law requiring the disclosure of documents based on a showing of “compelling circumstances affecting the health or safety of any individual.” | How Appealing links to the ruling.

WorldNetDaily: “I’m not a ‘birther,’” Hawaii State Sen. Sam Slom told Jeff Katz of WXKS Radio in Boston, “and I followed this from the very beginning. At first I followed it with amusement, and then I got really concerned about it, because the question was if it was not just the birth certificate, but other records as well – school records, academic records, work records – why would anyone spend millions of dollars in legal fees, particularly someone in public office, particularly someone in the highest public office, to not make that information public?”

CNN: “He spent $2 million in legal fees trying on to get away from this issue, and if it weren’t an issue, why wouldn’t he just solve it?” he said. “I wish he would because if he doesn’t, it’s one of the greatest scams in the history of politics and in the history, period. You are not allowed to be a president if you’re not born in this country. Right now, I have real doubts.”

Star Advertiser: “Hawaiian Electric Co. used managers and outside contractors to repair storm-damaged power lines yesterday after its unionized work force walked off the job over a contract dispute.”

AP: “With a tiny campaign war chest and indications that powerful Democrats wouldn’t support a re-election bid, Sen. Daniel Akaka of Hawaii announced he would step down after his term expires next year.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “Final approval of a proposal to legalize civil unions is a step closer to same-sex marriage in Hawaii, supporters say.”

CNSNews: “Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie signed same-sex civil unions into law Wednesday, calling it “a triumph for everyone” that gay and lesbian couples will have the same state rights as married partners.”

Hawaii: “With the signing, Hawaii becomes the seventh state to grant civil unions to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself. Five states and Washington, D.C., permit same-sex marriage.”

“The Hawaii Senate passed on Wednesday a bill that would legalize civil unions for same-sex couples. The legislation passed with an 18-5 vote and now awaits the signature of Democratic Gov. Neil Abercrombie.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “The state Legislature is poised to give final approval today to a proposal to permit civil unions in Hawaii, sending it to Gov. Neil Abercrombie, who has promised to sign the measure.”

AP: “Hawaii’s Legislature is poised to pass a bill allowing same-sex civil unions and send it to the governor, who plans to sign it.”

LifeNews: “The Hawaii Choose Life license late is in jeopardy and is in danger of being discontinued unless pro-life motorists on the island purchase another 50 of the license plates, which are similar to those approved initially in Florida and other states.”

KHON2.com: “The Hawaii House of Representatives will continue to hold prayers before daily session, unlike the state Senate, which canceled them last month.”

Star Advertiser: “Despite the opinion by the head of the state agency that administers Hawaii’s open-records law, Gov. Neil Abercrombie will not release the names of candidates to the Hawaii Supreme Court.”

The Star Advertiser: “The House could vote on the bill this week or early next week. Both the House and Senate must agree on the final language of the bill before it can go to Abercrombie. Senate Bill 232 substantively mirrors the much-debated House Bill 444 from last year that was passed by the Legislature but vetoed by then-Gov. Linda Lingle.”

NECN: “A proposal to create civil unions for same-sex partners is being considered in the Hawaii House of Representatives after it already passed the Senate.”

LifeNews: “No sooner did a bill to make Hawaii the third state to officially legalize assisted suicide receive a hearing than it was tabled in committee, essentially killing the legislation.”

Star Advertiser: “The state Senate could vote as early as next week on Family Court Judge Sabrina McKenna’s appointment to the Hawaii Supreme Court following the unanimous approval of her nomination yesterday by the Senate Judiciary Committee.”

The Hawaii Reporter: “The Hawaii State Senate passed SB 232 today by a vote of 19 to 6. The bill, which establishes civil unions in Hawaii, would grant unmarried couples more rights and benefits including tax benefits.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “McKenna talked last week about being gay in the hopes that others will recognize that sexual orientation should not be a bar in achieving their goals.”

KITV: “The state Senate on Friday approved Senate Bill 232, relating to Civil Unions, at its regular daily session.”

Associated Press: “Five Hawaii Democratic representatives want to pass a law making President Barack Obama’s birth records public and charge $100 to see them.”

Associated Press: “A group of nine Hawaii senators held hands, bowed their heads and sought God’s blessing Wednesday, signaling that they’ll still pray despite a vote last week to abandon official invocations.”

Hawaii News Now: “After three hours of testimony, SB 232 passed 3 to 2. It’s now heading to the full Senate.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “Sabrina Shizue McKenna, a longtime state judge and former University of Hawaii women’s basketball player who was born in Tokyo and raised by a single mother, was nominated to a 10-year term on the Hawaii Supreme Court yesterday . . . McKenna would be the first openly gay member of the Hawaii Supreme Court. McKenna’s sexual orientation was not brought up during the ceremonies, but she said that all judges bring to the bench their own personal experiences.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “The governor introduced Circuit Judge Sabrina McKenna yesterday as the first of three associate justices he’ll nominate for the five-member state Supreme Court early in his term. The Senate must confirm . . . It leaves the public with no voice in the vetting, no chance to judge the quality or diversity of candidates put forth by the secretive selection panel and no way to see any politics at play in the governor’s pick.”

Christianity Today Politics Blog: “Hawaii’s state Senate is the first state legislature in the United States to end the practice of daily invocations, the Associated Press reported on Friday . . . While some commentators hail the decision as a victory for separation of church and state, the Alliance Defense Fund argued, ‘Governments should take a stand for this cherished historical practice.’”

NewsMax: “Top-rated talk radio host Rush Limbaugh on Friday questioned why new Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie has not gotten support from the White House in his efforts to resolve the doubts of so-called ‘birthers’ about Barack Obama’s place of birth.”

Spokane Conservative Examiner: “[Brett Harvey] is an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, an organization of Christian lawyers defending free faith speech. ‘They (the ACLU) continue to threaten governments with lawsuits to try to force them into capitulating to their view of society,’ Harvey said, adding, ‘Governments should take a stand for this cherished historical practice.’”

Mail Online: “Abercrombie said on Tuesday that an investigation had unearthed papers proving Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961 . . . Abercrombie suggested that a long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate for Barack Obama may not exist within the vital records maintained by the Hawaii Department of Health.”

MySanAntonio.com (AP): “The Hawaii Senate on Thursday silenced prayers previously offered before each of the chamber’s lawmaking sessions . . . ‘[The ACLU. et al.] continue to threaten governments with lawsuits to try to force them into capitulating to their view of society,’ said [Brett Harvey], an attorney for the Alliance Defense Fund, made up of Christian lawyers to defend free faith speech. ‘Governments should take a stand for this cherished historical practice.’”

MySanAntonio.com (AP): “The Hawaii Senate isn’t doing away with daily prayers before its sessions just yet. The Senate opened with a Hawaiian-language invocation by Danny Kaleikini on Wednesday despite previously announced plans to do away with religious speeches.”

Human Rights Campaign: “The time is now to finally end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in the Aloha State, and to treat ALL families in Hawaii with the same dignity and respect. No child of a same-gendered family should have to grow up thinking their family is somehow less loving or legitimate than their straight counterparts.”

Hawaii Right to Life: “Hawai’i motorists are in danger of losing the ‘Choose Life’ plate. We have only 98 plates on the road and DMV requires 150.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “State Senate leaders will recommend that the Senate end the invocations traditionally offered by clergy before floor sessions to avoid intruding on the separation between church and state.”

KITV: “Supporters of same-sex civil unions are optimistic that a new governor who supports their plight means 2011 will be the year a civil union bill becomes law in Hawaii.”

Newsmax (AP): “Hawaii voters have opened the way for same-sex civil unions to become state law next year, with an election that gave victory to a pro-gay rights gubernatorial candidate and rejected many church-backed candidates.”

Democrat Neil Abercrombie has been elected Hawaii’s next governor.”

CNSNews: “A New York City-born man was ordered to return from Hawaii where he was arrested on charges he tried to join the U.S. military at a Times Square recruiting station so he could he could be deployed to Iraq, desert and fight with anti-American insurgency forces.”

KPUA (AP): “[The] two major candidates to succeed Lingle in December, with just more than five weeks before the Nov. 2 general election, are signaling little desire to focus attention on the issue. Still, civil unions may be a campaign subtext, particularly among conservative religious leaders who organized anti-civil unions rallies at the Capitol.”

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: “State Rep. Blake Oshiro, the main author of the civil unions bill that passed the Legislature before being vetoed by Gov. Linda Lingle this year, defeated outgoing City Councilman Gary Okino last night for the state House 33rd District (Halawa-Aiea).”

Star Advertiser: “Gov. Linda Lingle’s appointment of Associate Justice Mark Recktenwald as chief justice sailed through Senate confirmation yesterday, but she won’t get to name his replacement on the five-member Hawaii Supreme Court.”

WSJ: “The ruling earlier this month by San Francisco federal judge Vaughn Walker declaring Proposition 8 unconstitutional might well be overturned by the Ninth Circuit . . . But for now, it seems it’s providing a bit of inspiration to gays and lesbians in Hawaii, who last month sued Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle after she vetoed legislation approved last year that would have allowed same-sex civil unions. According to this LAT story, backers of the suit hope Judge Walker’s Aug. 4 ruling will become the legal precedent that other courts in the country eventually will follow.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “Gov. Linda Lingle appointed Associate Justice Mark E. Recktenwald yesterday to a 10-year term to become the fifth chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court.”

Hawaii News Now: “Judge Katherine Leonard’s rejection for Chief Justice by the state Senate may be the catalyst for change at the Hawaii State Bar Association. ‘What’s under consideration now is that the HSBA, the state Bar, will provide some brief explanation of what led to the qualified or unqualified vote,’ HSBA president Hugh Jones said.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “Gov. Linda Lingle blasted the state Senate’s rejection of Katherine Leonard as chief justice of the Hawaii Supreme Court yesterday, calling the 14 lawmakers who voted against her nominee hypocritical.”

KHON 2: “Currently state legislators [in Hawaii] have the authority to determine whether same sex couples can tie the knot. ‘I would think now that provision is in jeopardy,’ said [Jon Van Dyke, U.H. Manoa Law Professor].”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “Gov. Linda Lingle plans a ‘full-court press’ for appeals Judge Katherine Leonard as Hawaii’s next chief justice after hearing yesterday that the state Senate has serious concerns about her leadership and administrative abilities.”

Honolulu Star Advertiser: “The Hawaii State Bar Association’s board of directors’ rating of appeals Judge Katherine Leonard as ‘unqualified’ to be Hawaii’s next chief justice drew strong criticism last night from Gov. Linda Lingle. The association’s board gave Leonard the rating by a secret vote and did not disclose the reasons as part of its confidential policy to help ensure that the lawyers on the board vote freely on appointees.”

Star Advertiser: “A major opponent of a civil unions bill is considering its next move after a lawsuit was filed yesterday challenging the governor’s veto of the controversial legislation. ‘We’re formulating that (plan) right now,’ said Francis Oda, chairman of the Hawaii Family Forum, which was vocal in objecting to House Bill 444 throughout the legislative session.”

“The lawsuit, being filed today in Circuit Court, asks the court to step in where the Legislature did not and reverse the effect of Lingle’s veto.”

LifeSiteNews: “In Hawaii, new battle lines have been drawn in the Democratic primary for governor now that Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann has announced that he would have vetoed the civil unions bill rejected by outgoing Republican governor Linda Lingle. Hannemann’s opponent, former U.S. Rep. Neil Abercrombie, says he supports legislation that would have established civil unions for homosexuals with all the rights and benefits accorded to civil marriage.”

Honolulu Star-Advertiser: “Hannemann said that if he were to be elected governor in November, he would work with state lawmakers on expanding the state’s reciprocal beneficiaries law so gay couples could have additional benefits. But he said he would use his veto power if lawmakers sent him an identical civil unions bill.”

“The American Psychiatric Association strongly supports legislation recently approved by the Hawaii legislature that would have made Hawaii the 11th state, along with the District of Columbia, to recognize same-sex civil marriage, civil unions or domestic partnerships.”

“Hawaii Gov. Linda Lingle vetoed House Bill 444 Tuesday, which would have given all of ‘the same rights, benefits and responsibilities’ of married couples to same-sex couples. Lingle stated that such an important issue impacting all families across the Islands should be decided by voters, not by elected officials or in the courts.”

“The American Civil Liberties Union of Hawaii and Lambda Legal, a New York-based gay-rights group, plan to file a lawsuit in Circuit Court alleging Hawaii has failed to provide equal rights to gays and lesbians short of marriage.”