LIHU‘E — State Sen. Ron Kouchi, D-Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau, saw many faults on a civil unions bill that almost became law last year, and the crafting of a new bill this year didn’t change his mind. After the state Senate’s passage of
LIHU‘E — State Sen. Ron Kouchi, D-Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau, saw many faults on a civil unions bill that almost became law last year, and the crafting of a new bill this year didn’t change his mind.
After the state Senate’s passage of SB 232, Kouchi explained why he was one of the six senators who voted against the measure.
“What SB 232 is, it’s just a reintroduction of HB 444 in its entirety, and changed the date,” Kouchi said.
Kouchi voted against SB 232, a bill similar to HB 444, which brought some controversy last year when it came before the House.
“When we had been questioned during the campaign if I would support House Bill 444 … I was not in support of it,” Kouchi said.
In 2010 then-Governor Linda Lingle vetoed HB 444 after it had passed the Senate and the House. The Senate had enough support to override the veto, and was ready to convene after Lingle’s decision, but House Speaker Calvin Say decided not to bring in the House, Rep. Mina Morita, D-Kapa‘a-Hanalei said in July.
Kouchi said bill SB 232 would supposedly give same sex couples the same legal rights as married couples. But SB 232 does not have the full range of legal responsibilities required for married couples, according to Kouchi.
“Right now it’s a Department of Health permit,” he said.
When couples dissolve a marriage, they have to go through the legal system in court, and they have certain rights, Kouchi said. In civil unions, couples would just dissolve the DOH permit.
“It doesn’t say anything regarding to policy, procedure or method of dissolving these unions. Therefore it doesn’t say anything about how to deal with paternity,” Kouchi said.
There are some issues that were not addressed in HB 444, according to Kouchi. “They still are not addressed in (SB) 232.” Some of those issues deal with division of assets, he said.
Kouchi said there’s still a lengthy process for the bill to become law.
“We have faxed the bill and sent it over to the House,” he said.
The state House of Representatives will now go over the bill, vote on it, and if approved, send it back to the Senate. Kouchi said he was told the House is working on a more detailed bill.
Kouchi said the House is a little bit behind the Senate’s schedule because the representatives were dealing with choosing their leadership while the Senate was already working on bills.
There will be at least three more votes on the bill — in case it passes each vote — before it would reach Governor Neil Abercrombie for a signature that would turn it into law.
In 2010 the votes of Kaua‘i legislators were split right in the middle.
Rep. Jimmy Tokioka, D-Wailua-Lihu‘e, and then-Rep. Roland Sagum, D-Koloa-Waimea, voted against HB 444.
Then-Sen. Gary Hooser, D-Kaua‘i-Ni‘ihau, and Morita voted in favor of HB 444.
In last November elections Dee Morikawa replaced Sagum, and Kouchi replaced Hooser, who had stepped down from his seat for an unsuccessful run for lieutenant governor.
Go to www.capitol.hawaii.gov for more information.
