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.

Hawaii gay marriage bill moves to full Senate

State lawmakers met Monday after a special session was called by Gov. Neil Abercrombie to discuss same-sex marriage. Hawaii already has civil unions.

Fourteen states plus the District of Columbia have already legalized same-sex marriage and many more legal battles are taking place in other states, including Nevada, New Mexico and Illinois.

Hawaii brought the subject of same-sex marriage to the national forefront in 1990 that eventually led to the Defense of Marriage Act being passed in 1996.