Hawaii Politics

Neil Abercrombie has appointed Brian Schatz to the U.S Senate to replace the late Senator Dan Inouye. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie on Wednesday appointed Lt. Governor Brian Schatz to the U.S. Senate, replacing the late Senator Daniel Ken ?Dan? Inouye. Inouye, a Medal of Honor recipient, died on December 17 after a brief illness. He was 88. ?I have informed the leadership of the United States Senate ? spoken personally with Senator Reed, the majority leader of the United States Senate ? that I have appointed Brian Schatz as the next United States Senator from Hawaii,? Abercrombie said in making his announcement. Schatz said he was ?humbled? and ?honored? for the opportunity to serve the ?people of Hawaii and the people of America.? ?No one can fill Daniel K. Inouye's shoes. But together all of us, we can try to walk in his footsteps,? Schatz said. Following President Barack Obama's announcement in support of marriage equality, Inouye made a strong statement in support, saying he loo

A powerful 7.7 magnitude earthquake off Canada's west coast set off a tsunami warning that emptied restaurants, bars and theaters in Hawaii and sent rattled residents fleeing beach areas.

Linda Lingle would back a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual union. ?Linda Lingle, the GOP Senate nominee from Hawaii, would back a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a heterosexual union. Lingle expressed her support for such an amendment during a televised debate against her Democratic challenger, Hawaii Congresswoman Mazie Keiko Hirono. As governor of Hawaii, Lingle vetoed a civil unions bill approved by lawmakers in 2010. ?Well this is a question that I have spent an awful lot of time on as governor. And I know people have very strong feelings on both sides. It's something that I've wrestled with, President Obama has wrestled with it. I would certainly support putting this constitutional amendment on the ballot. Personally, I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman. But I also think the people of Hawaii should be able to make that decision,? she answered when asked her opinion on the issue. Hirono called marriage equality a civil righ

Oracle boss Larry Ellison has bought a Hawaiian island from a fellow multi-billionaire businessman, the governor of the US Pacific Ocean state said.

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie has said he won't defend the state's gay marriage ban in court. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie has said he won't defend the state's gay marriage ban in court, Courthouse News reported. Two women who were refused a marriage license in Hawaii named Abercrombie and the Hawaii Department of Health as defendants in their federal lawsuit filed a month before the state's civil unions law went into effect on January 1, 2012. Natasha N. Jackson and Janin Kleid claim they were denied a marriage license on November 18, 2011. They alleged in their filing that the state violated their 14th Amendment rights to due process and equal protection in denying them the right to marry. Abercrombie, who signed the civil unions bill into law a year after his Republican predecessor refused, said the right to marry was a fundamental right. ?Under current law, a heterosexual couple can choose to enter into a marriage or a civil union,? Abercrombie said in a statement to the cou

Two women who were refused a marriage license in Hawaii have filed a federal lawsuit. Two women who were refused a marriage license in Hawaii have filed a federal lawsuit, Honolulu's Star Advertiser reported. Natasha N. Jackson and Janin Kleid filed their lawsuit against Democratic Governor Neil Abercrombie and the state's Department of Health in U.S. District Court on Wednesday. The two women claim they were denied a marriage license on November 18. They allege the state violated their 14th Amendment rights to due process and equal protection in denying them the right to marry. ?Our clients want to marry,? said lawyer John J. D'Amato. ?They want the state to tell us why they can't marry. They want the state to tell us what is it about being two women prevents them from marrying.? In February, Abercrombie signed into law a civil unions bill which takes effect on January 1. "If they want to pursue that through the legal channels that's fine but I work through the legislative channels,?

(Reuters) - In October 1984, Iowa's governor, Terry Branstad, made his first trip to China. He and his wife flew to Beijing and took an old steamer train about 200 miles southwest to Shijiazhuang, a city in the Hebei province.

(Reuters) - In October 1984, Iowa's governor, Terry Branstad, made his first trip to China. He and his wife flew to Beijing and took an old steamer train about 200 miles southwest to Shijiazhuang, a city in the Hebei province.

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama's Democratic Party has to do more than just hold on to the White House in the 2012 elections.

Hawaii officials expect to begin issuing civil union licenses for gay and lesbian couples by December 3. Hawaii officials expect to begin issuing civil union licenses for gay and lesbian couples by December 3, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. However, Hawaii's civil unions law won't take effect until January 1, 2012, and civil union licenses expire after 30 days. Officials are issuing the early licenses to allow couples in a reciprocal beneficiary relationship to obtain necessary paperwork to have a ceremony after the law's start on January 1. The state began offering the union to couples in 1997. It allows access to a limited number of state benefits, including inheritance rights, workers' compensation, health insurance, hospital visitation and healthcare decision making. Couples in a reciprocal beneficiary relationship can also jointly own property. Couples moving from a RBR to a civil union could find fall into a ?gap period? where neither is in effect, placing necessary benef

The Hawaii Senate has approved a bill banning discrimination against transgender people. The Hawaii Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would ban discrimination based on gender identity (transgender protections) in the areas of employment, housing and public accommodations. The House previously approved a similar measure. ?The march towards full equality in the Aloha State continues,? said Alan Spector, co-chair of Equality Hawaii. ?Providing employment protections to transgender citizens in Hawaii is a victory for civil rights and equal treatment under the law for all residents of our great state.? The Senate voted to approve the legislation with an overwhelming 22 to 2 vote. The win comes on the heels of the defeat of a similar bill in the Maryland Senate. Former Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican, had vetoed an identical bill six years ago. Last year, she also vetoed a civil unions bill signed into law this year by Democratic Governor Neil Abercrombie. ?Following the passage of

Hawaii insists it is open for business, rejecting worries about harmful nuclear radiation reaching the tourist-friendly US island state from earthquake-hit Japan.

BOSTON (Reuters) - New Hampshire lawmakers on Thursday postponed action until next year on two bills aimed at repealing the state's gay marriage law until next year.

Hawaii legalized same-sex civil unions, as its governor signed into law a bill giving gay couples the same rights as heterosexual married partners.

HONOLULU (Reuters) - Governor Neil Abercrombie on Wednesday signed into law a bill allowing same-sex civil unions, making Hawaii the seventh U.S. state to grant essentially the same rights as marriage to gay couples.

HONOLULU (Reuters) - Governor Neil Abercrombie on Wednesday signed into law a bill allowing same-sex civil unions, making Hawaii the seventh U.S. state to grant essentially the same rights as marriage to gay couples.

The Maryland Senate on Wednesday gave a gay marriage bill its preliminary okay . The Maryland Senate on Wednesday gave a gay marriage bill its preliminary okay. After a short and highly focused debate, senators voted 25 to 22 to advance the bill. A final vote could come as early as Thursday. The House has scheduled a hearing on its version of the bill for Friday. Republicans offered 11 amendments aimed mostly at strengthening the bill's protections for religious institutions. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller, who voted against the bill, had scheduled a full day for debate but the vote came shortly before 1PM. Senate Minority Leader Nancy Jacobs, a Republican, said she expects an anticipated filibuster attempt to fail. Governor Martin O'Malley has pledged to sign the bill into law, which would make Maryland the sixth state to legalize the institution. Opponents of marriage equality have promised to mount a campaign to repeal the law, if approved by lawmakers. Over the weekend, the

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie on Wednesday signed a civil unions bill into law. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie on Wednesday signed a bill into law that offers gay and lesbian couples benefits and responsibilities nearly identical to those of marriage, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. ?This signing today of this measure says to all of the world that they are welcome. That everyone is a brother or sister here in paradise,? Abercrombie said in remarks before singing the bill into law. ?The legalization of civil unions in Hawaii represent in my mind equal rights for all people,? he added. The Hawaii Senate gave final approval to the measure last Wednesday. Lawmakers approved a nearly identical bill last year, but then-Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican, vetoed the measure after much public hand-wringing on the issue. ?It's a sad day for the people of Hawaii,? Senator Mike Gabbard, a former Republican who switched to the Democratic Party in 2007, told the paper. The Hawaii Catho

Colorado gay rights activists are urging lawmakers to approve a civil unions bill. ?Gay rights activists in Colorado are urging lawmakers to approve a bill that would give gay and lesbian couples many of the benefits and responsibilities of marriage. About 100 people are expected to join gay rights group One Colorado at the Statehouse on Monday to lobby lawmakers to approve Senator Pat Steadman's civil unions bill. Steadman, an openly gay Democrat, said he's proposing the law because a 2006 voter-approved constitutional amendment bans gay marriage in the state. ?This is a method of recognizing committed relationships between two people and allowing them to access the full scope of protections in Colorado law,? Steadman told the Denver Post. Democratic Representative Mark Ferrandino is sponsoring the legislation in the House. Passage in the Democrat-controlled Senate appears nearly guaranteed, but less likely is a win in the House, which is controlled by Republicans. A recent survey by

Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie to sign civil unions bill on Wednesday. Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie will sign a bill that offers gay and lesbian couples benefits and responsibilities nearly identical to those of marriage on Wednesday, the Honolulu Star Advertiser reported. Abercrombie will sign at Washington Place the civil unions bill approved by lawmakers. The governor had previously announced he would sign the bill on Thursday.The Democratic governor pledged to sign the bill into law after the Hawaii Senate gave final approval to the measure last Wednesday. ?I have always believed that civil unions respect our diversity, protect people's privacy, and reinforce our core values of equality and aloha,? Abercrombie said in a statement. ?For me this bill represents equal rights for all the people of Hawaii.? Lawmakers approved a nearly identical bill last year, but then-Governor Linda Lingle, a Republican, vetoed the measure after much public hand-wringing on the issue. Hawaii beco