same-sex marriage

Hawaii became the 15th state to authorize same-sex marriage with Governor Neil Abercrombie's signature on the legislation, the Los Angeles Times reports. When the bill was in the House, "deliberations lasted for several days and included a committee hearing in which 5,000 people signed up to testify for more than 50 hours, followed by hours of debate on the House floor on nearly 30 proposed amendments."

A court challenge to the same-sex marriage law is already pending. The argument is that legislatively authorizing same-sex nuptials violates a Hawaii constitutional amendment against same-sex marriage. However, Hawaii's attorney general concluded the constitutional amendment authorized legislators to ban same-sex matrimony, but that's a step they didn't take, The LA Times also reported.

Hawaii has passed legislation to authorize same-sex marriage, the Associated Press reports. The governor is expected to sign it. Illinois also has legislation to authorize same-sex marriage, and that will be signed next week.

The Associated Press reported: "The head of Hawaii's Senate judiciary committee said Saturday he expects an amended bill legalizing gay marriage to pass easily in the Senate next week, with no changes to the measure passed by the House Friday night after two grueling floor sessions and a lengthy public hearing." The legislation would allow same-sex weddings to begin on Dec. 2 in Hawaii, the AP also reported.

The Arkansas attorney general certified a ballot measure today that would allow voters to amend the state constitution to recognize same-sex matrimony, according to ArkansasMatters.com. The ballot measure must now have get signatures in support to get on the ballot.

After lawmakers approved legislation to authorize same-sex marriage in Illinois, Governor Pat Quinn has said he will sign the bill, the Chicago Tribune reports. The newspaper also reports that the prospects for the legislation improved when supporters could point to the situation "in in which gay couples living in states that recognize same-sex marriage have more rights than their counterparts in states that haven't legalized gay marriage. The two-class system was a clear narrative that advocates could use when lobbying lawmakers who were on the fence, contending it just didn't make sense for gay couples in Illinois to be denied access to benefits that were available to couples living just across the border in Iowa."

Iowa has same-sex marriage as the result of a ruling by that state's Supreme Court.

Legal news from last week: A federal judge ruled that a lawsuit can proceed on whether same-sex marriages from other states can be recognized on death certificates in Ohio despite the statewide ban on same-sex nuptials. The Associated Press reported the presiding judge "rejected a request from state attorneys asking to have a funeral director removed from the lawsuit, a move that essentially would have squelched it."

Legislators may vote on same-sex marriage next week, according to GateHouse Media: "Advocates for same-sex marriage in Illinois say they're ready for a vote next week. It's been months of energetic lobbying, but there are signals lawmakers may be prepared for a tally after the measure was set aside earlier this year."

The Hawaii Senate has passed a bill to authorize same-sex marriage. The bill is expected to pass the House of Representatives too, Reuters reported. If the legislation is enacted, Hawaii could become the 15th state to legalize same-sex matrimony. The bill exempts houses of worship from having to perform same-sex wedding ceremonies.

After a committee in the Hawaii Senate passed a same-sex marriage, "SB 1 now awaits a vote in the full Senate, where it is expected to pass comfortably. It will then be heard by the House Judiciary and Finance committees Thursday morning, where its fate is less certain," The Huffingon Post reported.

Hawaii has started a marathon special legislative session over same-sex marriage in which 1,800 people are expected to testify and 4,000 pages of prepared testimony has been submitted, the Associated Press reports. One special issue for Hawaii is that it is no small thing for same-sex couples to travel to another state to get married elsewhere in the United States: Hawaii Attorney General David Louie testified "that traveling to another state that allows gay marriage is no small issue," the AP reports.