Free Republic

The new California law that requires registered domestic partners to file their state taxes like married people is a symbolic victory for gay couples. But the financial impact won't always be positive, and most will face new tax-filing and planning headaches when the law takes effect next year. Under SB1827, signed by Gov. Schwarzenegger last weekend, registered domestic partners can no longer file their state tax returns as single or head of household. For tax year 2007 and beyond, they can choose married filing jointly or married filing separately, the same options married couples generally have. However, domestic partners must...

Thomasson: “There is now no difference in California law between marriage rights for a husband and wife and marriage rights for homosexuals.” Sept. 30 -- Campaign for Children and Families, a California-based pro-family organization defending marriage, children, and family values, is appalled that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill putting the last nail in the coffin for marriage between a man and a woman in California. On Sept. 30, the last day to sign or veto bills on his desk, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed SB 1827 by lesbian state Senator Carole Migden, a San Francisco Democrat. SB 1827 requires the...

SACRAMENTO - After signing more than 500 bills and vetoing 29, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is poised to finish the bill-signing season with a flurry: He has 619 bills to consider before Saturday's constitutional deadline. Among them is legislation that would give mothers 30 days -- rather than the current 72 hours -- to deliver their newborn babies to "safe surrender" locations without facing abandonment charges. Another bill before the governor would allow domestic partners to file joint tax returns. The governor rarely signals his intent on bills -- though, on some, like the global emissions bill he signed Wednesday, AB...

Gov. Schwarzenegger has three days left to decide whether to give a landmark tax victory to gay rights activists -- the right to file as married couples -- but stick them with a tax-filing headache. The bill, which is among a stack of bills that will become law unless vetoed by Saturday, would require California's 75,000 registered domestic partners to file their state tax returns as if they were legally married -- even though they'd still have to submit single returns to Uncle Sam. --snip-- ``This is hugely symbolic,'' said Jean Johnston, a tax attorney with Johnston/Childress in San Francisco....

SACRAMENTO - Debate over a bill that would let registered domestic partners file joint state tax returns devolved into a shouting match Wednesday as Assembly members accused each other of intolerance and one Republican said his gay colleagues live a deviant lifestyle. Discussion of the bill began to heat up when Assemblyman Jay La Suer, R-La Mesa, called the measure "part of the homosexual agenda." He said it would negatively affect California's children by teaching them "that this is an acceptable lifestyle." Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Sherman Oaks, countered that "the real homosexual agenda is simple equality and freedom from discrimination."...