US: Thousands expected to turn out for Hawaii House committee on same-sex marriage
Thousands are expected to turn out for a public hearing around a bill to legalise equal marriage in the House of the US state of Hawaii on Thursday.
The House committee hearing begins at 10am on Thursday, and will go on into Friday if people are still waiting to testify at midnight.
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.
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.
