US: Hawaii Senate approves equal marriage
The Senate in the US state of Hawaii has overwhelmingly approved a measure to repeal the state’s ban on same-sex marriage.
In the bill’s third and final reading on Wednesday, the Senate voted to pass the bill. The legislation will now go to the House for scrutiny, as committees are scheduled for Thursday.
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.
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.
