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Governor Lingle May Veto Civil Unions Bill In Hawaii

06/19/10-by Bridgette P. LaVictoire
Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii is considering bowing to pressure from the Social Conservatives and vetoing the bill which would allow for civil unions in the fiftieth state in the union. She is putting the bill on a list of potential vetoes. The list is done up to give the state’s legislature enough time to determine if they want to try to override her veto. Lingle has been getting a lot of pressure from the evangelicals and the Catholic Diocese in Hawaii over this particular bill. They are trying to prevent it from becoming law for the usual variety of inane and inaccurate reasons which they have always spewed towards the LGBT Community in the United States. This includes the rather moronic attempt to claim that this will infringe on their religious beliefs.

If Governor Lingle does veto the bill, it is unlikely that the Hawaii legislature has the votes to override her veto, unlike what occurred with fellow Republican Governor Jim Douglas in Vermont last year where the Legislature overrode his veto on the marriage equality bill.

Of course, Lt. Governor James Aiona stated “It will be a potential veto and the governor right now is crafting her decision as to whether of not she will or will not veto that bill. Some, we will find out. The deadline for that is July 6.” Aiona has a history of being vehemently homophobic.

Should Governor Lingle veto the legislation, it is likely that it will be brought up again at another date; however, it would be disappointing for Lingle to veto this legislation based upon the homophobic and bigoted reasoning that the evangelicals and Catholics advance under the cover of trying to protect the family and protect religious freedoms. Their rationales have nothing to do with anything of that nature and are more about maintaining their own power base and their own religious hatreds.