The state Senate overwhelmingly approved a marriage equality bill Wednesday by a 20 to 4 vote.
Senate President Donna Mercado Kim calls the vote on the marriage equality bill.
HONOLULU, Hawaii — The Hawaii state Senate easily passed a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in a third reading Wednesday that will advance the legislation to the House. The bills prospects are less certain in the House.
The chamber passed Senate Bill 1 with 20 "aye" votes and 4 "no" votes after discussing lawmakers' positions. Sen. Glenn Wakai, who supports marriage equality, was absent at the time of the vote because his mother had passed away.
The Senate quickly advanced the bill Tuesday in a second reading, after the chamber's Committee of Labor and Judiciary spent 12 hours listening to about 400 oral testimonies before passing the bill in a 5-2 vote Monday.
Sen. Clayton Hee stands to speak on the senate floor.
Sen. Clayton Hee, wearing cowboy boots as he often does, said in support of the bill that it allows same-sex couples to marry while protecting religious freedom.
He cited Loving v. Virginia involving interracial marriages and then discussed what was "closer to home," Hawaii's approval of the nation's 1971 law to legalize abortion as evidence of evolving opinions.
Sen. Hee continued with a story about the island of Niihau, home to 130 people, who are mostly Native Hawaiians, and their maluhia of the island, a Hawaiian word that translates to peace.
"To most of us who understand Hawaiian, the word maluhia means peace, such as in the Christmas song "Silent Night" where the word maluhia is sung over and over again, but to Bruce Robinson and the native people of Niihau maluhia means that everything is right that all things are in order and that no one needs to worry. ... I respectfully and humbly ask you to join me in bringing maluhia to that community that seeks justice. I ask you to expand the meaning of aloha to truly include everyone."
During his opening speech, Sen. Hee was booed and cackled at several times. When there was an interruption in response to Hee's comments on sharing aloha, Senate President Donna Mercado Kim stopped the proceedings to sternly reminded the audience: "you are guests of this chamber and that you must act accordingly."
