An unprecedented 5,000 people signed up to testify. Mainstream news outlets are claiming most who signed up support redefining marriage. Numbers from the House Minority Office — responsible for registering those who want to testify — tell a different story.
State Rep. Bob McDermott, a Republican, said the opposition to changing marriage is “overwhelming.” He cites the following figures from the office:
Thursday: 18 percent support; 82 percent oppose
Friday: 20 percent support; 80 percent oppose
Saturday: 10 percent support; 90 percent oppose
Sunday: 9 percent support; 91 percent oppose
“While there have also been thousands of pieces of mailed-in testimony, a lot of it can be described as ‘manufactured’ by word processors and database merges,” McDermott explained. “Most of it originates from outside our state. The one form of testimony that cannot be faked is real people, taking the time from their families, to come down to the Capitol and wait for hours to give personal, heartfelt testimony. These are real people, citizens of Hawaii and voters, and they are still coming to the Capitol by the hundreds.”
Hawaii Lawmaker: Opposition Strong to Same-Sex Marriage
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