Hawaii Senate Says "'Ae" to Civil Unions (That Means Yes)

A veto-proof majority of the Hawaii State Senate voted 18-7 Friday to approve civil unions. The bill would allow same-sex and opposite sex couples to enter into the unions, which would provide the same rights and responsibilities as marriage. The Assembly, which approved civil unions in the last session, would have to approve measure again before it could be submitted to the governor, a Republican who has not indicated whether she would veto the bill. The last vote in the Assembly was one shy of a veto-proof majority, due to the absence of a pro-civil union Democrat (Honolulu Advertiser).