Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie today put his signature on the state s Civil Unions bill, effectively legalizing unions for same sex couples.

The state’s Civil Unions bill is headed into a final vote in the state legislature today after years of debate on both sides.

By Wendy Osher The leading democratic candidates in the gubernatorial election squared off on Maui in a town hall meeting held tonight at the Iao Theatre in Wailuku.  Neil Abercrombie and Mufi Hannemann spent an hour answering questions posed by the audience on issues including Civil Unions, Energy Independence, the Economy, Native Hawaiian Issues, the [...]

Shan Tsutsui, 2010 candidate for State Senate District 4, Transcript: Introduction:  Aloha, I am State Senator Shan Tsutsui and I’m running for re-election in the Senate 4th District–this includes Kahakuloa, runs through Waikapu, down to Kahului, and parts of Paia.  I think without a doubt, we all know that the economy has been very challenging for most, if not [...]

Dean Schmucker, 2010 candidate for State House District 8, Transcript: Introduction: My name is Dean Schmucker, and I’m a candidate for State Representative House District 8.  I believe that the most important issues facing Hawaii today are structural issues in the Legislature itself.  That’s why I am advocating term limits for legislators.  I also believe that [...]

Tasha Kama, 2010 candidate for State House District 8, Transcript: Introduction:  Aloha, my name is Tasha Kama.  I’m a Democrat running for the State House of Representatives for District 8 which encompasses the communities of Waikapu, Wailuku, Waiehu, Waihee and Kahakuloa.  We must remedy our reliance on imported goods and must think, behave and act sustainably [...]

Mufi Hannemann, 2010 candidate for Hawaii Governor, Transcript:  Introduction:  Aloha, I’m Mufi Hannemann and I’m running for Governor.  I’ve said from day one, job one would be to revitalize and grow this economy.  We need to put people back to work.  I know how difficult it is to meet the challenges of this economy, but if [...]

Justin Hughey, 2010 candidate for State House District 8, Transcript: Introduction: My name is Justin Hughey and I’m running for State House of Representatives, District 8.  I am a teacher, and I work a second job at a restaurant in order to be a teacher, even though I have a Master’s Degree.  My predominant focus is [...]

Joe Souki, 2010 candidate for State House District 8, Transcript: Introduction: My name is Joseph Souki.  I am currently an incumbent member of the House, 8th District.  I am from District 8 all the way from Kahakuloa to Waikapu.  This past year, I’ve been part of the leadership and the chairman of the Transportation Committee.  I [...]

State House Speaker Calvin Say announced today that he would not call for a special session to override Governor Linda Lingle’s vetoes.  On June 21, 2010, the Governor released to the Legislature a list of 39 bills that were intended for veto.  The list included bills on public safety, civil unions, homelessness, and education. The [...]