Governor Linda Lingle Rejects Civil-Unions Bills

July 7th, 2010 - 8:41 pm ICT by GD  

By Madhuri Dey
lingleHonolulu, July 7, (THAINDIAN NEWS) Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle on Tuesday ended months of speculations on a bill that would have provided gay civil union couples with the same rights and benefits married couples receive in the state. On Tuesday, Linda Lingle vetoed the bill that was passed in April by the state legislature. The decision by the Governor came at the last day when the bill was either to be passed by her signing or refused.

Linda Lingle announced that she has made the decision by taking into consideration the public opinion and inputs and at the same time reviewing every part and sections of the bills. She has said that the review has led her not to allow “these measures to become law”. The governor also added in her veto statement that in spite of the fact that the bills were passed by the legislature with the belief that they are important she said that it is her responsibility to see to it that the bills are only passed as law if it is in the best interest of the state. The governor said that the responsibility lies with her to see to it that the new law “is constitutional, fiscally responsible and in the best interest of the state”.

If the gay civil union couples’ right bills would have been signed by Linda Lingle, then the state would have become the sixth state to have granted gay couples the same right as that to other married couples. The signature would have essentially legalized the same-sex marriage in Hawaii. However, the governor will be leaving the office this fall.

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