URGENT UPDATE: Hawaii Civil Unions Bill First Public Hearing Scheduled 2/5, WE NEED TESTIMONY!!

by: Keori

Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 18:31:28 PM EST

Alan Spector of the Family Equality Coalition recently sent out a message asking for contributors for testimony at the upcoming public hearing on the Hawaii Civil Unions Bill. If you are here in the islands, PLEASE get in contact with Alan about providing testimony. If you know an LGBT person or ally in Hawaii, PLEASE forward him/her/them this message. The first public hearing has been scheduled for four days from now, and we NEED testimony from our LGBT ohana!

MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD! Come out, come out, wherever you are!

The UPDATED message from Alan:

URGENT ALERT:  House Bill 444, A Bill For An Act Relating to Civil Unions, will be heard by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, 2/5/09, at 2 p.m. in Conference Room 325 at the State Capitol (415 South Beretania Street, Honolulu). 

Testimony needs to be submitted at least 24 hours prior to the hearing with a cover indicating:

• Testifier's name with position/title and organization
• The Committee the comments are directed to (in this case, Judiciary)
• The date and time of the hearing
• The measure number (HB 444)
• The number of copies the Committee is requesting

Testimony can be submitted in ONE of the following ways:

• Paper:  One copy plus original to Room 302 in the State Capitol
• Fax:  For comments less than five pages in length, transmit to 586-8494 (Oahu) or 1-800-535-3859 (Neighbor Islands).
• E-mail:  For comments less than five pages in length, email to JUDtestimony@capitol.hawaii.gov

RECOMMENDATIONS:  Please refer to Family Equality Coalition e-mail of 2/1/09 for suggested guidelines for preparing testimony.  It is posted at http://tinyurl.com/family-equality.  It is recommended that you keep your testimony brief!  The goal is to get through this hearing in no more than three to four hours and move directly to a vote. 

PLANS TO MEET:  Please arrive by 1 p.m.  We will meet in the Capitol Rotunda on the Iolani Palace side.  Family Equality Coalition will distribute Equality stickers for you to wear during the hearing.  We will also go over some guidelines for suggested decorum. 

IF UNABLE TO ATTEND:  If you are unable to attend the public hearing, please submit testimony regardless.  It will still be part of the public record and be of much benefit. 

See you on Thursday.  Remember, whatever the outcome of Thursday's hearing, we are moving forward! We have momentum on our side.  Each public hearing serves as an opportunity for us to educate the legislators, educate the public, and expand our base. 

Sincerely,

Alan Spector and Paul Gracie

Co-Chairs

Full text of original announcement and template for testimony under the fold. This template can be used for any hearing in any state on same-sex couple legal recognition hearings.

Family Equality Coalition anticipates a public hearing on our civil union bill (HB 444) to occur sometime in February.  We will notify you as soon as we have further details including date, location, and how to submit testimony.  Please be aware that testimony needs to be submitted 24 hours prior to the hearing and we may only have as little as 48 hours advance notice.  In order to be well prepared, we suggest that you start drafting your testimony now as that 48 hour notice could arrive any day.  A sample format will be listed at the end of this email, however, it is best to use your own personal style as long as certain guidelines are followed: 

• Testimony needs to be brief.  Remember that you may be one of several hundred people at the hearing.  Verbal testimony should be under 3 minutes.  A clear one or two page testimony can be more effective than a long and detailed multi-page report. 
• Please be very courteous and respectful.  Please refrain from any accusatory language and labeling of our opponents. 
• Always begin in your first paragraph by introducing yourself, stating your position on the bill, and thanking the committee for its consideration.  Conclude in your final paragraph with a thank you, a statement requesting support for HB 444, and be sure to provide your full name and address.
• Remember, stories from the heart change minds. Personal emotional stories about what it means to not have legal recognition and equal rights are some of the most effective means to win support.  Answer the question, “How does lacking equal rights and recognition impact you or your family members on both an emotional and concrete level?” 

Additional points to consider:

• Themes of equality and fairness work well.  Equal rights for same-sex couples and their families is the civil rights issue of this generation.  How does this legislator wish to be remembered?
• The majority of the public supports civil unions as does President Obama.  According to the White House Web site, President Obama "supports full civil unions that give same-sex couples legal rights and privileges equal to those of married couples." 
• Granting equal rights to same-sex couples in no way impacts the rights of opposite sex couples or religious communities.  Religious communities will always be free to define marriage according to their specific traditions.  Granting same-sex couples equal rights strengthens families.  Families with legal protections are less likely to be a burden on society.   Children of same sex couples are currently without the same family protections and benefits that are provided to children of opposite sex couples.  We need to value all families and all children. 

If you wish to read the bill in its entirety, please go to www.capitol.hawaii.gov and search for HB444. 

SAMPLE TESTIMONY:  This is meant as a guide, but remember, it is best to create your own style.  Cookie cutter "form letters" are not taken as seriously by legislators. 

Dear Chair Karamatsu, Vice-Chair Ito, and Members of the House Judiciary Committee: 

Thank you for this opportunity to testify before this committee.  My name is __________________ and I am am here to express my support for House Bill 444 - Civil Unions.  (If you represent an organization please say so).  I believe that all people should be treated equally under the law and this is something required by our Constitution.  HB 444 extends the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of spouses in a marriage to partners in a civil union.   

My partner and I have been together for 20 years and we have an 8 y/o daughter.   She first came into our lives as a foster child and we subsequently filed for legal adoption.  I am currently employed in the hotel industry and my partner is self-employed (part-time) and serves as the primary caregiver for our daughter, who has special needs due to Down's Syndrome.  As a result of us not having legal recognition as a couple, I am unable to obtain employer sponsored health insurance for my partner, a benefit that opposite sex married couples take for granted.  Additionally, I pay considerably more in taxes every year both to the State of Hawaii and the US Federal Government because I am unable to file my taxes jointly.  I am taxed as a single man with one dependent (our daughter) when the reality is that I have two dependents.   Ultimately, the person who suffers most as a result of this unequal treatment is our precious daughter.  Funds that could be used for our daughter's needs have to be set aside to cover my additional tax liability as well my partner's private individual health insurance plan. 

This unequal treatment that my family experiences is unfair and unjust.  How would you feel if you or one of your family members was treated in this manner?  Civil unions are supported by the majority of the public, President Obama, and the majority of the Hawaii House of Representatives.  The issue of equal treatment for same-sex couples is the civil rights issue of this generation.  Equality is a simple concept yet sadly has been out of reach to so many.  I ask that you support HB 444 and appreciate your careful consideration. 

Mahalo,

Name and full address