Updated at 11:45 a.m., Tuesday, July 10, 2001

Lawmakers vote to override veto of consent to sex bill

By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Staff Writer

In a landmark move, the state Legislature today rejected the governor's veto of a bill that outlaws sex between adults and young teenagers.

The Legislature has not overridden a veto in more than 40 years.

The Senate voted 23-1 to override the veto. Sen. Les Ihara voted no, saying the bill makes the penalty for consensual sex equal to that of rape. Sen. Avery Chumbley was absent.

The House voted 48-0 with three excused for the override.

Republicans, the Hawaii Family Forum and others have advocated for the bill, which prohibits 14- and 15-year-olds from having sex with adults at least five years older. But city prosecutors and some women's advocates were against the bill, saying it would do more harm than good.

House and Senate leaders said they felt an urgency to override the veto rather than address the issue next year because of the outpouring of public support for the override.

Gov. Ben Cayetano, who called the override "pure politics," said he vetoed the bill because it may unfairly criminalize teenagers and that the penalties — up to 20 years in prison — are too harsh.