Well, it did much better once it got to the Senate floor. The Hawaii Senate passed HB 546 on a 22-2 vote. It already passed in the Hawaii House by a similarly lopsided 42-4 margin.
The legislation prohibits employment discrimination based on gender identity and expression and adds the protections to the employment section of Hawaii's nondiscrimination law. That law already covers housing and public accommodation discrimination based on gender identity and expression.
The good news is that unlike the previous GOP governor, Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) is expected to sign it.
