‘Birthers’ fade after passage of law against them

The persistent quest for President Barack Obama’s Hawaii birth certificate has died down since the state passed a law allowing it to ignore repetitive requests for the document.

Hawaii officials say far fewer “birthers,” who claim Obama is ineligible to be president, have asked state officials to provide the document since the law was enacted in May.

The law has never even been put to use. Department of Health spokeswoman Janice Okubo says the number of people seeking proof that Obama was born outside of Hawaii and the United States diminished without the law being invoked.

Only about two or three e-mails now seek verification of Obama’s birth each week, compared to between 10 and 20 weekly requests earlier this year.