Gubernatorial candidate Neal Abercrombie today issued this statement on the state House's passage of HB444 regarding civil unions:

"There has been some confusion that the debate over civil unions is a debate about same-sex marriage. It is not. The state legislature has already defined marriage as between a man and a woman.

"Protecting people's civil rights cannot be compromised. I have always said that HB 444 ensures equal treatment under the law. Civil unions respect our diversity, protect people's privacy, and reinforce our core values of equality and aloha."