US: Hawaii Senate to hold final vote on equal marriage as House prepares to receive bill
A bill to legalise equal marriage in the US state of Hawaii will be subject to a final vote in the state’s Senate on Wednesday.
House officials are also making plans surrounding the introduction of the bill, scheduled for Thursday, if Senate Bill 1 passes in the Senate.
Large crowds are expected to testify in the House before two committees, during the hearing which could go on into Friday.
Officials in the House are urging people who wish to testify on the issue before the Judiciary and Finance committees on Thursday, to submit their testimony online.
SB1 passed its second reading in the Senate on Tuesday, and is scheduled for its final vote on Wednesday.
Tuesday’s session was brief and followed 12-hours of written and spoken testimony at committee stage on Monday.
Governor Neil Abercrombie released a draft for the bill in August. If Hawaii legalises same-sex marriage, it would become the 15th US state to do so.
The legislation is expected to easily pass in the Senate, and also appears to have enough support to pass in the House, reports Hawaii News Now, which does report that it may be tight.
