The measure would have extended “the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of spouses in a marriage to partners in a civil union.”

After months of wrangling and listening to both sides of the marriage debate, Republican Gov. Laura Lingle has vetoed legislation that would have established same-sex civil unions and made them equivalent to marriage in Hawaii.

Lingle announced her decision Tuesday, the last day of a 45 working day period she was given to weigh a veto on HB 444, a bill which was suddenly revived and passed on the last day of Hawaii’s legislative session earlier this year, taking pro-family advocates by surprise.

The measure would have extended “the same rights, benefits, protections, and responsibilities of spouses in a marriage to partners in a civil union.”

“There has not been a bill I have contemplated more or an issue I have thought more deeply about during my eight years as governor than House Bill 444 and the institution of marriage,” Lingle told reporters at Tuesday’s news conference. “I have been open and consistent in my opposition to same-gender marriage, and find that House Bill 444 is essentially marriage by another name.”

The measure passed the Hawaii Legislature in late April, but only after the House engaged in some legislative gymnastics, holding four successive votes to suspend the rules that prevented them from resurrecting the bill.

However, the House was not able to manage a veto-proof majority, and was three votes short of an override. House leaders say they will not call for a special session to attempt an override.

Lingle had choice words for April’s 11th hour legislative shenanigans, accusing the House’s Democratic leadership of “manipulating the legislative process when it suits them,” adding that it was “wrong and unfair” of them to revive the bill when they knew the public thought it was a dead issue.

Lingle said that the people of Hawaii should decide for themselves the fate of marriage in their state, saying, “It would be a mistake to allow a decision of this magnitude to be made by one individual or a small group of elected officials.”

“And while ours is a system of representative government, it also is one that recognizes that from time to time there are issues that require the reflection, collective wisdom and consent of the people, and reserves to them the right to directly decide those matters,” she continued.

“This is one such issue.”

But the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) disagreed, and wants the courts to do what they have no confidence that either the people or the state government will accomplish: give homosexual unions the same status as marriages in Hawaii.

“We are standing ready to file that lawsuit in short order to ensure that LGBT families in Hawaii are provided equal rights and benefits,” said Lois Perrin, ACLU Hawaii’s legal director, according to Honolulu’s KITV4 News. Perrin asserted that Hawaii’s constitution would support their case, adding, “We’re going to make sure that the courts agree with us.”

However, all indications are the that people of Hawaii are opposed to any same-sex unions legislation. The Canadian Press reports that approximately 60% of the 34,000 plus communications sent from the public to the governor – including telephone, letters, e-mail, etc. – were from pro-family individuals asking her to veto the bill.

When Lingle made her announcement, pro-family advocates wearing “iVote” buttons, wept, knelt, and prayed, while homosexualist activists with rainbow flags, vowed loudly that they would not accept defeat.

But the real test for either group will be the upcoming elections, and the Christian churches that opposed HB 444, only to get snookered by the legislature when their guard was down, are preparing for a fight in November.

Former Rep. Annelle Amaral told the Honolulu Star Advertiser that the impact of Christian votes at the ballot box could be huge.

“I had all the Christians out with signs saying I voted for same-sex marriage and not to vote for me,” Amaral told the journal.

She added, “Conservative groups are incredibly strong. The churches are already organized.”