Cayetano proposes deal on age-of-consent bill
| • | Cayetano vetoes animal quarantine bill |
By Lynda Arakawa
Advertiser Capitol Bureau
In an effort to steer legislators away from overriding his veto of a bill criminalizing sex between adults and teenagers younger than 16, Gov. Ben Cayetano has told legislative leaders he would support the bill if the penalties were reduced.
Cayetano vetoed the bill last week, saying he thought it could unfairly snare some teenagers and subject them to unreasonably harsh prison terms. The bill would make it illegal for anyone five or more years older than a 14- or 15-year-old to have sex with them.
House and Senate leaders yesterday said Cayetano asked them to consider amending the bill to reduce it from a Class A felony to a Class C felony. Class A felonies carry a prison sentence of up to 20 years and Class C felonies call for up to five years in prison.
House and Senate Democrats will meet Thursday to discuss the issue. But House Vice Speaker Sylvia Luke, D-26th (Punchbowl, Pauoa), yesterday said the House leadership would rather override the governor's veto or do nothing at all.
"We haven't received the benefit of a public hearing on this issue and for us to make changes on this issue would not be prudent," she said. "The bill that we passed was the best compromise we were able strike between all the parties concerned and it addressed a lot of issues that people had concerns with. It was the best bill that we were able to bring up and for us to make changes at this point would be premature."
House Minority Leader Galen Fox, R-21st (Waikiki, Ala Wai), said he does not want to amend the bill and that all 19 Republicans in the House support a veto override.
That appears to leave the issue largely up to the Senate. Senate President Robert Bunda, D-22nd (Wahiawa, Waialua, Sunset Beach), said senators are generally split on whether to override the bill. He also said he would prefer to amend the bill, in which a penalty will still exist, rather than override Cayetano's veto.
The veto override has been loudly promoted by Republicans, and some Senate Democrats do not want to give the impression that they have caved in to the GOP's demands.
Under state law, legislators can convene a special session and amend a bill that has been vetoed by the governor. The Legislature has until July 10 to act.
