The drive to make Hawaii the fifth state in the country to allow same-sex civil unions is on the verge of failing, despite support from most state lawmakers.

Senate leaders had planned a vote before the full Senate as early as Tuesday, but deep divisions have emerged over whether Democrats should take an extraordinary legislative step to revive the measure after a tie committee vote.

A tie vote in committee usually is enough to kill a measure, but the bill could advance under a rarely used provision of the Hawaii Constitution if more than one-third of senators approve.

The Democratic leadership wants more than half the Senate to agree to put the bill before the full Senate. Some rank-and-file senators who support the bill, however, are unwilling to circumvent the normal legislative process.

The measure already has passed the Hawaii House.

Lawmakers’ hesitation comes after more than 6,000 opponents, most of them from religious groups, rallied against the legislation Feb. 22 at the state Capitol. Civil union supporters planned their own event at the Capitol on Saturday.

 See Support for Hawaii civil union vote wavering

The Associated Press -

 

Missouri state Rep. Jeanette Mott Oxford, D-St. Louis, was put up for a slot on that body’s Special Standing Committee on Children and Families by the Democratic leadership, but her bid was rejected by the House speaker, Ron Richard, R-Joplin. In a letter to Richard, Oxford wrote: “The only reason cited to me so far as for why I am not on the committee is that ’some members find me offensive.’ I do not know if this is about my sexual orientation, my stance on Roe vs. Wade, or what.” The Kansas City Star (Mo.)