Date: Tue, 4 Mar 97 09:25:01 HST
From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey)
Subject: HAWAII MARCH 3

		CONFERENCE COMMITTEE ADJOURNS AFTER
			SHARING VIEWS

	The Conference  Committee of the Hawaii  House and Senate met
this morning on HB 117 and HB 118, for about an hour.  Each of the 
House and Senate described some of the differences between their
respective versions.  They then adjourned, subject to being called
together at any time without the further need for 48 hours notice.

	HB 117 would give the Legislature the power to restrict marriage
to heterosexual couples.  HB 118 would grant "reciprocal beneficiaries",
defined to be couples who can't otherwise marry (including mother and son,
father and daughter, two sisters, etc., in the House version), a list
of limited rights (e.g., hospital visitation).  The House and Senate
differ on the list of rights.  On HB 117, they differ on the wording
and the placement of the amendment (where in the Constitution would it
go).

	The Legislature adjourns near the end of April/early May.
However, constitutional actions require special notice to the governor
(who otherwise does not play a role) which pushes back the deadline for
passing something this session of the Legislature.

	Rep. Terry Tom seemed to speaking to the media and not to the
senators; it's a safe bet that he managed to insult all of them.
This morning, the House did not offer the Senate dialogue on the issue.

	The senators offered detailed responses and reasoning for
specific clauses under discussion.  The House side didn't seem interested
in hearing facts of either law or economics.  Especially, when former
insurance commissioner Senator Wayne Metcalf offered data that
health benefits for "reciprocal beneficiaries" have lower costs than
pregnancies among heterosexual couples (and are therefore cheaper to
provide), Terrance Tom simply repeated his assertion that the benefits
proposed by the Senate would increase cost.  [My mind is made up, don't
confuse me with the facts.]

					Tom Ramsey
					President, Friends of h.e.r.m.p
					Ex-officio, Steering Committee
					of the Hawaii Marriage-Project

P.S.  Marriage Project-Hawaii (formerly h.e.r.m.p) is the ONLY organization
that pays the fees of Hawaii lawyer Dan Foley in the case Baehr v. Miike.
Donations to Marriage Project-Hawaii are fully tax-deductible, and much
needed.  Please send them to Marriage Project-Hawaii, PO Box 11690,
Honolulu, HI 96828.

	Marriage Project-Hawaii has a brand new T-shirt design.  For
further information, please consult skippero@aol.com.