The executive director of the Hawaii Business Roundtable says the organization stands by its letter urging Gov. Linda Lingle to veto House Bill 444, the civil unions bill.

“Earlier in the day I was working on an update, but I am no longer doing so,” Roundtable Executive Director Gary K. Kai said in an e-mail message.

“The executive committee still stands behind that letter.”

Kai’s statement comes as more members of the Roundtable have spoken out about the letter.

Five companies yesterday issued a statement disassociating themselves from the veto letter, with two more coming forward today.

Hawaii Medical Service Association and Hawaii National Bank said they were not consulted by the executive committee and had no prior knowledge of the letter until it became public.

House Bill 444 would give couples in a civil union the same rights as married couples. 

The June 4 letter from the Business Roundtable’s executive committee to Lingle did not take a position on civil unions, but urged her to veto it on technical grounds. It urged the formation of a committee to study the matter and propose legislation for next year.