House Minority Leadership Speech Excerpts on Senate Bill 1 House Draft 1
HONOLULU – The following are speech excerpts from House Minority Leader Aaron Ling Johanson and House Minority Floor Leader Beth Fukumoto that were delivered today during the House Final Reading vote on Senate Bill 1 House Draft 1. Both representatives opposed the bill.
Full Text: Rep Fukumoto speech
Representative Aaron Ling Johanson, House Minority Leader
“…What has been most difficult for many of us to reconcile in our House of Representatives is the fundamental question of how to grant benefits to our fellow citizens who are looking for acceptance and equal treatment. I do not necessarily wish to see people in a loving, committed relationship denied tax and other benefits. Given the Supreme Court’s rulings that served as a catalyst for extension of federal benefits to individuals in same-sex marriages, I continue to believe that relief can be sought at the federal level to include extension of those federal benefits to those individuals in civil unions and/or other state-recognized equivalent relationships.
“We have not sufficiently explored many of those avenues because we were called into a special session against our legislative will.
“This bill, in ostensibly seeking to enable the granting of those federal benefits, engenders a whole host of significant and real concerns and issues that have yet to be answered and yet to be reconciled.
“If this bill passes, I still do not know what will happen in the future when a newly-created, now state-sanctioned right of same-sex marriage conflicts with constitutional rights that have been enshrined in the 1st Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, including the freedom to practice one’s religion.
“Again, I ask: what happens when they conflict? How will the Legislature and Courts reconcile that conflict? I don’t think any of us can answer those questions with confidence.
“We have not sufficiently answered those questions, and really addressed what I think is fundamentally at the heart of our debate.”
Representative Beth Fukumoto, House Minority Floor Leader
“… This broken process made me choose between rights to benefits, and rights of conscience, and I couldn’t vote for a measure that would further inhibit the free practice of religion and the rights of conscience, which I know many of my constituents hold dear.
“Mr. Speaker, it’s a rare thing to see two sides of an issue so diametrically opposed that they’re unable to reconcile their differences. But, that’s the point that we seem to have come to, and it is a very sad failure of the democratic process.
“Given more time, Mr. Speaker, we may have been able to consider more options, or found a way to negotiate between rights to equal benefits and rights of conscience, but we weren’t afforded that time.
“This isn’t an easy vote to take, and it shouldn't be an easy vote.
…
“This body did a disservice to the opponents of this measure, Mr. Speaker, and as we saw over and over this week, the deck was stacked against them from the start.
“Perhaps the people reading and watching aren’t concerned with this issue, but I would ask them, what if it’s your cause next time? What we’ve seen this week is a government that will ignore the masses and tip the scales in favor of their own agenda.
“In the past few weeks, I’ve heard overwhelming opposition to this measure from my constituents who, like me, want to ensure that rights of conscience are protected. It is my duty, Mr. Speaker, to be their representative in this body.
“I wish we could have come up with another solution, and I wish we could have had a more full debate. But, today, I find myself with no choice but to vote no.
“Mr. Speaker, this was a difficult process to be involved in, and this is a painful vote to cast. As we move forward, I know that there are thousands of people that feel disappointed in their government, and disenfranchised by this process.”
Rep. Aaron Ling Johanson serves as the House Minority Leader and Vice Chair of the House Committee on Finance. He represents the 31st House District covering Moanalua, Foster Village and Aiea. Rep. Beth Fukumoto serves as the House Minority Floor Leader and represents the 36th House District covering Mililani and Mililani Mauka.
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Reps. McDermott and Fale address amendment 11 – Marriage
Reps. Bob McDermott and Richard Fale comment on the amendment
The purpose of this Act is to propose an amendment to article I, section 23, of the Constitution of the State of Hawaii to provide that marriage shall be reserved to opposite-sex couples.
Read the amendment at: http://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/splsession2013b/SB1_HD1_FA11_.pdf
Floor amendment failed following roll call vote: Noes (28) Belatti, Brower, Coffman, Evans, Hanohano, Hashem, Ichiyama, Ing, Kawakami, Kobayashi, Lee, Lowen, Luke, Mizuno, Morikawa, Nakashima, Nishimoto, Ohno, Onishi, Rhoads, Saiki, Say, Souki, Takai, Takayama, Takumi, Thielen, Wooley, Excused (5) Cabanilla, Cachola, Choy, McKelvey, Yamane.
Excerpt from Capitol TV: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF-7XEeJa6Q
Reps. McDermott, Fale and Ward address Amendment 14 - task force
from the amendment..." it would be prudent to convene a task force to study the potential impact of same-sex marriage in Hawaii, before taking any legislative action."
Contact: repmcdermott@capitol.hawaii.gov repfale@capitol.hawaii.gov or repward@capitol.hawaii.gov
Excerpt from Capitol TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFw8Lxp8ROw
Reps. Fale, Mcdermott and Ward - Amendment 14 - Part II
from the amendment..." it would be prudent to convene a task force to study the potential impact of same-sex marriage in Hawaii, before taking any legislative action."
Excerpt from Capitol TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bu1nDcjzCeg
Reps. Ward and McDermott Amendment 15 - Education Op Out
Amendment 15 addresses the right to "op out" of having a child receive any sexuality health education that promotes or otherwise addresses homosexuality.
Excerpt from Capitol TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hJS7cyBnwA
Rep. Bob McDermott Address amendment # 16
Rep. McDermott address Amendment # 16 - exemptions for conscience - Fist amendments rights
excerpt from Capitol TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptDV-F68t_M
Rep. Ward Amendment 16 - Conscience Exemptions
Rep Ward addresses unfair discriminatory practices that deny, or attempt to deny a person the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of a place of public accommodation......
excerpt by Capitol TV: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsywPJiRSFI