CA: Votes on 2 big bills squeaky tight (Gay marriage, assisted-suicide legislation)

SF Chronicle ^ | June 1, 2005 | John M. Hubbell

[calcowgirl]

Sacramento -- Landmark votes expected this week in the Assembly on same-sex marriage and physician-assisted suicide appear so close that their outcomes could rest on a sole lawmaker's last-minute deliberations on morality, faith and the role of government in society, according to interviews with several undecided Democrats.

With the Assembly poised today to take up AB19 by Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, to legalize same-sex marriage in California, many Democrats said Tuesday that they remain undecided on the issue even after months of debate. With Republicans uniformly opposed to the measure, Leno said passage would likely come with only the minimum-required 41 votes -- maybe one more if he's lucky.

"The struggle for some members may be whether they do their job as to voice a public sentiment from their district, or to lead those constituents to a place ... (they) may not know they wish to go," Leno said.

The margin facing proponents of legalizing physician-assisted suicide -- who may seek a floor vote Thursday or Friday -- is similarly slim after months of lobbying on their bill, AB654, by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, and Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka. If signed into law, the bill would make California the second state in the nation to allow certain terminally ill residents to obtain lethal prescriptions to hasten their death.

(snip)

Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Leimert Park (Los Angeles County), was a man of even fewer words. Asked in the Assembly antechamber how he would vote on either bill, he underscored the unpredictable nature of the week, pretending to wet his index finger before lifting it up and measure the direction of the wind.

[So Cal Rocket]

I hope Arnie has plenty of ink in his veto pen. It's crazy time in Sacramento - and watch out for the "gut and amend" bills.

[calcowgirl]

I don't think "ink" has been the problem. He doesn't oppose this stuff!

[So Cal Rocket]

Re: Gay Marriage

The people of California have already spoken on this issue:

California Proposition 22

Proposition 22

On March 7, 2000, the people of California voted on Proposition 22, a proposal to enact a state "Defense of Marriage Act" as an initiative statute. The text of Prop 22 reads:

“Only marriage between a man and a woman
is valid or recognized in California.”

 Proposition 22 was ratified by an overwhelming majority of California voters, prevailing by a 23-point margin. Statewide, 4,618,673 votes were cast in favor of the proposition, comprising 61.4% of the total vote. Opponents garnered 2,909,370 votes, for 38.6% of the vote.

Final vote counts revealed that Proposition 22 won in 52 of California's 58 counties, including all of the major metropolitan areas except for San Francisco. The six counties which did not approve Prop. 22 were all in the immediate San Francisco Bay area, including: Alameda county, Marin county, San Francisco county, Santa Cruz county, Sonoma county, and Yolo county.

Full election returns are available on the California Secretary of State website (PDF - 73KB).

[COEXERJ145]

If queer marriage passes in California then it will be forced on the entire country within a year or two.

[John Jorsett]

"The struggle for some members may be whether they do their job as to voice a public sentiment from their district, or to lead those constituents to a place ... (they) may not know they wish to go," Leno said.

Well, that's one way of saying, "The people hate it, but screw 'em."

[Cicero]

Arnold is pro-death, pro-abortion, and pro-perversion. So he's very unlikely to veto these measures.

He supported the fetal stem cell abomination in the last election, and he has eagerly implemented it.

All this was well known when he ran.

[calcowgirl]

Arnold is pro-death, pro-abortion, and pro-perversion. So he's very unlikely to veto these measures.

You forgot pro-gun control and pro-land grab environmentalism. And then there is that
borrow-and-spend characteristic. But hey.... he's got an (R) by his name. /s

[calcowgirl]

Your 'leaders' know what is best for you. ;-)

[calcowgirl]

Governor reportedly would consider assisted suicide bill
John M. Hubbell, San Francisco Chronicle, April 19, 2005

Sacramento -- Supporters of legalizing physician-assisted suicide say a senior aide to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has told them the governor is "very open-minded" on the issue and is allowing his administration to scrutinize a bill that would bring the practice to California.

The comment, which supporters say was made last week during a meeting with Richard Costigan, Schwarzenegger's legislative secretary, is far from a guarantee that the governor would ever sign a bill on the issue pending before the Legislature. The bill, which passed the Assembly Judiciary Committee last week, faces a second committee vote by early May. If successful, it would still need approval of both legislative houses before it would reach him.

Still, Schwarzenegger's apparent willingness to weigh the topic once more separates him from the stated Republican party line, which has frequently clashed with the governor on a number of social issues from gun control to abortion.

A statement issued last Tuesday by the Assembly Republican caucus after the assisted-suicide bill cleared its first hurdle called it unnecessary and said "current law gives Californians the right to reject life-preserving treatments." That same day, Costigan indicated the administration's willingness to examine the issue, according to several people who attended the meeting.

(snip)

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Whatever happened to that Prop. 22 anyway? Didn't the voters define marriage several years ago?

[The Ghost of FReepers Past]

Arnie will veto these? I thought he favored them.

[calcowgirl]

Whatever happened to that Prop. 22 anyway? Didn't the voters define marriage several years ago?

Yes, but unfortunately it revised the Family Code, not the State Constitution. Mark Leno (the gay legislator championing his cause) tries to argue that the voters only intended the definition to apply to out-of-state marriages, and the people never voiced their opinion on whether they wanted same-sex marriages to occur in the state. Of course, now, he seems to want to tell us what he thinks we should have, vs. what the voters actually want.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

I think it's time we had gay suicide and assisted marriage.

[goldstategop]

For Democrats. It should help depress their demographics. Call it poetic justice.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[goldstategop]

Its one of the most insulting arguments I've heard in my entire life. The text of Prop. 22 is plain as day. Only Democrats don't seem to be able to read it as every one else does. No wonder they have an advanced case of political dyslexia.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)