The 2007 state legislative session is in full swing and several high profile issues are already creating controversy. The Hawaii Catholic Conference and the Hawaii Family Forum work in tandem tracking and addressing issues of importance to the Catholic Church and family concerns. Here is what’s happening as this paper goes to press on Feb. 5.

Physician assisted suicide

As there has been every year since 1999, several bills were introduced this year to legalize physician-assisted suicide. One of them, house bill (HB) 675, was initially fast-tracked by house leadership through a single referral to the house Judiciary Committee, skipping review by the house Health Committee.

This caused us, and our medical and disability rights allies, significant concern. Thankfully, Health Committee chairman Dr. Josh Green asked leadership to re-refer the bill back to his committee, a request supported by Judiciary Committee chairman Tommy Waters.

It took some time, but the re-referral was granted, and we now anticipate a house health committee public hearing very soon. Re-referral to the Health Committee greatly diminishes the bill’s chance for passage. We will continue to work with allies in the medical and disability communities to educate legislators about the dangers of legalizing physician assisted suicide.

Civil unions

Local media have reported on the push by a few lawmakers to grant all the benefits of marriage to same-sex couples through the legalization of “civil unions.”

We oppose efforts to re-open the divisive same-sex marriage debate. The people of Hawaii resolved these issues in 1997 and 1998 by passing two separate measures: 1) a constitutional amendment to preserve the state’s traditional definition of marriage, and 2) a “reciprocal beneficiaries” law providing significant benefits for the needs of people in familial and other relationships broader in scope than that of sex partner status.

We support legislative efforts to strengthen the reciprocal beneficiaries statute but will continue to oppose all efforts to grant the full benefits of marriage to same-sex couples. It is unclear whether a majority of lawmakers are interested in re-opening this divisive issue.

The Hawaii Catholic Conference and the Hawaii Family Forum have already provided testimony on a number of positive proposals to come out of the legislature including the following:

Domestic Violence

We have testified in support of two bills (HB 469: HB 1257) to better protect victims of domestic violence. The first would make it illegal to discriminate against victims of domestic violence in real property transactions. The second would provide more “teeth” in laws protecting victims from abusers who violate restraining orders by committing subsequent violent acts against their victims.

The house Human Services and Housing Committee passed HB 469 on Jan. 29. It will now move to a joint hearing of the house Consumer Protection and Commerce and Judiciary Committees. HB 1257 is likely to advance from the House Human Services and Housing Committee and move to the House Judiciary Committee.

Children’s access to health care

We support HB 1008 which would authorize a public-private pilot project between the Department of Human Services and HMSA or other health care plans to provide health care coverage to Hawaii’s uninsured children. HB 1008 passed the joint hearing of the House Health Committee and the House Human Services and Housing Committee. It will now move to the House Finance Committee for a hearing.

Divestment from Sudan

We support both HB 34 and HB 1117 to require the state employee retirement system to divest funds from companies doing active business in Sudan. The Sudanese government is participating in an ongoing genocide and while we feel helpless to do anything to stop the genocide, divestment is one step we can take. We must not stay silent in the face of genocide. Please urge your legislators to support these measures.

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