STAND. COM. REP. NO. 2709

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                  

 

RE:    S.R. No. 36

       S.D. 1

 

 

 

Honorable Colleen Hanabusa

President of the Senate

Twenty-Fifth State Legislature

Regular Session of 2010

State of Hawaii

 

Madam:

 

     Your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs, to which was referred S.R. No. 36 entitled:

 

"SENATE RESOLUTION EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR REPEAL OF THE DON'T ASK DON'T TELL POLICY OF THE UNITED STATES ARMED SERVICES,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to expresses support for repeal of the "Don't ask, don't tell" policy of the United States Armed Services, and of the federal law upon which it is based.

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from one private entity and three individuals.  Testimony in opposition was received from one military association and three individuals. Written testimony presented to the Committee may be reviewed on the Legislature's website.

 

     Your Committee finds that "Don't ask, don't tell" is the denomination of the policy of the United States Armed Services to stop gay, lesbian, and bisexual individuals from serving in the military.  President Barack Obama, United States Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen have expressed their preference for ending the ban on homosexual individuals serving in the United States Armed Services.  It has been reported that since going into effect in 1993, "Don't ask, don't tell" has resulted in the discharge of more than 13,500 service members for being gay, and at the present time when the military is desperately short of foreign-language expertise, it has fired over sixty-five gay Arabic and Farsi linguists.

 

     Your Committee further finds that allowing homosexuals to serve in the military would significantly augment the nation's military capabilities. Homophobia has no place in a modern, enlightened society, and the military is no exception.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure to include transmission of certified copies of this measure to Hawaii's congressional delegation.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs that is attached to this report, your Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.R. No. 36, as amended herein, and recommends its adoption in the form attached hereto as S.R. No. 36, S.D. 1.

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Public Safety and Military Affairs,

 

 

 

____________________________

WILL ESPERO, Chair