After hours and hours of debate, Hawaii's Senate Judiciary Committee approved a proposal to legalize same-sex marriage. The bill now goes to the full Senate.
The vote was 5-2 Monday night after 12 hours of debate, according to a story by the Associated Press.
A second reading of the bill in the full Senate is set for Tuesday.
In a letter to U.S. Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) dated Sept. 4, Attorney General Eric Holder informed the Republican House Speaker that President Obama's administration will extend veterans benefits for married same-sex couples.
This comes in the wake of the Supreme Court’s June 26 ruling that struck down a key portion of the Defense of Marriage Act, and the Internal Revenue Service's Aug. 29 decision to allow same-sex married couples to file federal taxes together and share Medicare benefits.
Based on the court ruling, the administration will no longer enforce policies that restrict veteran benefits to legally married opposite-sex couples.