Hawaii Senate Postpones Civil Unions Vote

The Hawaii senate is scheduled to vote on a bill that would give same-sex couples long-awaited rights to civil unions, more than 12 years after voters approved an amendment giving the legislature power to ban marriage equality in the state.

Update: According to the state senate communications office, the civil unions bill vote has been postponed to Wednesday "to give senators more time to consider the bill."

The senate had made minor amendments to the bill Monday, the Associated Press reports, after it had passed an earlier version last month.

Those amendments made clear that same-sex couples in civil unions can jointly file state taxes and have access to family courts for divorce.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie has said he supports civil union legislation; he would have 10 days to sign the bill following senate passage. The Hawaii state assembly voted to approve civil unions last week.

Read the AP article here.