Date: Fri, 27 Feb 1998 17:11:51 -1000
From: ramsey@math.hawaii.edu (Tom Ramsey)
Subject: HAWAII AND ALASKA

	LOBBYING ALERT!!!!

Legislators who are friendly to us and
others in the civil rights community tell
us that they get phone calls, and lots of
them, from some kinds of church people on
banning abortions.  They also need to hear
from those people who believe this matter
should not be made a crime.

Tomorrow, in the basement of the Capitol,
Terrance Tom will have one of his vintage,
day-long hearings (on abortion this time!).
As those of you who have testified before
know, if you show up early you can be put
on the agenda (at the end of it) if you want
to speak your piece.  They DO accept late
testimony.


	Good News From Alaska!

	Dan Foley just called me:  a lower
court in Alaska has decided that Alaska 
must present compelling state interest
arguments to justify continuing to discriminate
by denying marriage licenses to same-gender
couples.

	This is what Hawaii's Supreme Court
ordered for Hawaii back in 1993, and those
arguments were attempted by the State in September
1996---and totally rejected by Judge Kevin Chang
in Honolulu Circuit Court in December 1996.


	The news from Hawaii:  not a peep out of
our own Supreme Court as to when they will rule on
the state's appeal to them of Judge Kevin Chang's
decision.

			With best regards,

			Tom Ramsey
			ex-officio, BoD
                        Marriage Project Hawaii
			PO Box 11690
			Honolulu HI 96828
			friendsofmph@msn.com