The governor of Hawaii, Neil Abercrombie, has called a special legislative session to pass a bill legalizing gay marriage in the state, reports The Associated Press. The session will begin in October.
Abercrombie told reporters that the legislature has worked 20 years to create the bill.
“Every variation on a view with regard to the issue of marriage and equitable treatment for those engaged in marriage has been aired, has been analyzed, has been discussed,” he said. “No one has been left out or has been marginalized in the process to this point.”
Hawaii already offers civil unions to same-sex couples, but without full marriage, those couples are not eligible for marriage benefits now offered by the federal government.
Abercrombie hopes that the bill will pass in a five-day session in October and that weddings in Hawaii can begin in November.
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