What's This, Hawaii? Another Attempt At Equality-Lite?

Hawaii has been at the door before, so I'm not holding my breath that they'll walk through it, but still....

The Hawaiian House of Representatives approved a measure last week to allow gay and lesbian couples the same rights and benefits afforded their heterosexual counterparts. Republican Governor Linda Lingle hasn't said whether she'll reject it or sign it into law but has said she'll review it carefully.

And then reject it. I kid. Maybe.

The House voted 31-20 in favor of the legislation, which had been stalled but was unexpectedly revived on the last day of this year's legislative session. The Senate passed it in January. If approved, Hawaii will become one of six states--along with California, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon and Washington--to grant essentially all the rights of marriage to same-sex couples without authorizing marriage itself.

Everything But.

Hawaii has been a battleground for marriage equality since the early 90s. A 1993 Hawaii Supreme Court ruling nearly made Hawaii the first state to legalize same-sex marriage before voters in the state overwhelmingly approved the nation's first "defense of marriage" constitutional amendment in 1998. Marriage equality was banned in the islands, though civil unions were a possibility.

And just might be again.