Date: Sun, 14 Jul 96 21:19:55 HST
From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey)
Subject: HAWAII JULY 14

		THE NEXT SIX MONTHS IN HAWAII POLITICS:
	              NO MORE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS
                BUT A NOVEMBER POPULAR VOTE ON WHETHER
                 TO HAVE A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

	As most of you already know, the major engine forcing change
in Hawaii is the ongoing lawsuit to obtain marriage licenses for
same-gender couples.  That lawsuit is strongly favored to succeed,
UNLESS Hawaii changes its constitution to ban same-gender marriages.

	The good news is that the 1996 Legislature struggled with
a constitutional ban on same-gender marriage and ultimately rejected
the ban (the ban passed 37 to 14 in the House but was rejected 15 to
10 in the Senate).

	More good news:  there will be no special session of the
legislature this year.  The legislature adjourned without resolving
issues of no-fault insurance, and pressure was strong to bring them
back into session to reform insurance.  But the House and Senate
simply haven't agree on insurance reform.  This closes the legislative
route for constitutional amendments for this year (it will re-open
in January 1997!!!!).

	Last but hardly least:  the people of Hawaii will vote in
November on WHETHER to have a constitutional convention to consider
constitutional amendments.  This vote is an automatic, every-ten-year
event.  We want the vote to be "no", thereby closing one more avenue
to screwing up the constitution.


					Best Regards,
					Tom Ramsey
					Co-coordinator, h.e.r.m.p


P. S.  Here are some of the players and organizations in Hawaii whose
primary focus is on same gender marriage and which work closely with
h.e.r.m.p:

h.e.r.m.p:  the ONLY organization paying the legal fees of Dan
            Foley, the attorney who is in charge of the case
            with Evan Wolfson and Kirk Cashmere as co-counsels.
	    h.e.r.m.p was created when the three plaintiff couples
	    came to the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in 1993
            for help in raising funds to pay the legal expenses
	    (they had to distance themselves from an earlier
	    organizational structure).  Donations to h.e.r.m.p
	    are fully tax-deductible and can be made to GLCC-HERMP,
            1521 Alexander St., #503, Honolulu, HI 96822.  h.e.r.m.p
	    currently owes Dan Foley about $20,000, with the
	    bills mounting rapidly over the next three months.

Friends of h.e.r.m.p:  an organization parallel to h.e.r.m.p to
           handle the NON-tax-deductible public education and
           media work.  The address is PO BOX 11690, Honolulu, HI
           96828.  They have recently launched a 900-number, for
           donations of between $5 and $25:  1-900-97-MARRY.

Alliance for Equal Rights:  this political action group predates
           h.e.r.m.p considerably.  It played a strong role in
           getting Hawaii's law that bans discrimination in employment
           (with Leon Rouse as the lobbyist for that).  It's top
           priority is the support of legislative candidates who
	   support same gender marrige, but it can't give money
           directly to the candidate's election campaigns.  The
           address is 2139 Chamberlain Street, Honolulu, HI 96822.

The Equality Fund:  an organization parallel to the Alliance, which
           is a registered PAC giving money directly to legislative
           candidates.  The address is PO BOX 11690, Honolulu, HI 96828.
           
The following national organizations endorse h.e.r.m.p and Friends
of h.e.r.m.p (with its 900-number):

ASTREA NATIONAL LESBIAN ACTION FOUNDATION
GAY AND LESBIAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
GAY/LESBIAN/STRAIGHT TEACHERS NETWORK
HUMAN RIGHTS CAMPAIGN
LAMBDA LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATION FUND
NATIONAL BLACK GAY AND LESBIAN LEADERSHIP FORUM
NATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN TASK FORCE
PARENTS AND FRIENDS OF LESBIANS AND GAYS