The petitions, collected during the last week, call upon the Senate to pass the bill this Legislative session and ask Senator Taniguchi to request a waiver of referral that will allow the bill to return to the Senate floor where it will receive a full debate and vote. A request for waiver of referral may be granted at the discretion of the Senate President. Similar requests have been granted in the past.

Earlier this week, advocates for the bill launched a radio campaign to encourage listeners to sign the petition. The signatures demonstrate the broad cross-section of community support for the bill and reinforce the belief of many local residents that same-sex couples need and deserve the legal protection of civil unions. It is especially important in these difficult economic times to strengthen and support all families in Hawai‘i.

The right to petition is established in Article I, Section 4, of the Hawai‘i State Constitution. It is a freedom that appears in equal company with the freedoms of religion, speech, press, and assembly—giving citizens the opportunity to ask their elected officials to take action. Senate Rule 67 sets out the procedure by which any citizen can communicate with the Senate by filing a petition with the Senate Clerk. The petition is placed on the Order of the Day, is read by the Senate Clerk, and is then filed by the Senate President.

“This is historic for our state,” said Kat Brady of Equal Justice For All. “It is the first time in anyone’s memory that Hawai‘i’s citizens have used this constitutional provision. It is pure democracy in action.”

The petition will officially be filed with the Senate Clerk later this week and advocates expect the number of signatures to increase.

“We believe that every person has the right to ‘life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,’ and deserve the legal and civil rights afforded to all citizens, including the minority population of gay and lesbian individuals,” said Brady. “Every person has the right to a loving, committed family relationship without discrimination.”

• Attendees: Amy Agbayani, Hawai‘i Friends of Civil Rights
• Keola Akana, Pride at Work
• Jean Aoki, League of Women Voters
• Kat Brady, Equal Justice For All
• John Hiedel, The Interfaith Alliance
• Debbie Shimizu, National Association of Social Workers
• Yoshi Tanabe, Japanese American Citizen's League
• Laurie Temple, American Civil Liberties Union
• Tambry Young, Family Equality Coalition