Hawaii House Gay Marriage Hearing Resumes with Arguing

HONOLULU - A public hearing on gay marriage in the Hawaii House has resumed with lawmakers bickering over how to allow more than 4,000 people to testify.

The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee took a strict stance as a joint committee hearing resumed Friday morning, saying people absent when their number is called will not get to testify. But Rep. Karl Rhoads reversed course after complaints from lawmakers on the panel, shouting from audience members and a brief recess to talk the issue over.

When the meeting resumed, Rhoads said everyone will get to speak in order of registration numbers given when they signed up. Rhoads says people who miss their number being called will be allowed to testify only after all 5,181 numbers have been called.