Posted on 09/07/2005 6:06:36 PM PDT by SmithL
SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday that he will veto a bill seeking to allow gay marriages in California.
Schwarzenegger said the legislation, given final approval Tuesday by lawmakers, would conflict with the intent of voters when they approved Proposition 22. That measure was put on the ballot in 2000 to prevent California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed elsewhere.
"We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote," the governor's press secretary, Margita Thompson, said in a statement. "Out of respect for the will of the people, the governor will veto (the bill)."
Despite his promise to veto the bill, Schwarzenegger "believes gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationship."
"He is proud that California provides the most rigorous protections in the nation for domestic partners," the statement said.
The Republican governor had indicated in previous statements that he would veto the bill, saying the debate over same-sex marriage should be decided by voters or the courts.
A state appeals court is weighing an appeal of a San Francisco judge's ruling striking down state laws barring gay marriages. Meanwhile, opponents of same-sex marriages are planning measures on the ballot next year that would place a ban on gay marriages in the state constitution.
The announcement dampened a celebratory mood among the bill's supporters, who only the night before cheered, hugged and kissed as the state Assembly narrowly sent the bill to the governor's desk.
Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, had called bans on gay marriage "the last frontier of bigotry and discrimination."
The bill passed the Legislature through the persistence of its sponsors, Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco. His original bill had failed in the Assembly by four votes in June, but he then amended it to another bill in the Senate, which voted to approve it last week.
It was that amended bill the Assembly passed by a bare majority on Tuesday. Four Democrats who did not vote on the bill in June provided the winning margin this week.
The vote made the California Legislature the first legislative body in the country to approve of same-sex marriage. Gay marriage licenses in Massachusetts and civil unions in Vermont were granted through court rulings.
And what precisely is the difference between marriage and domestic partnerships in California?
The good people of California voted to ban same sex marriage. Can't get any more cut and dry than that!
Oh, that's much better! LOL
Yes. Few words are too strong to describe these people.
They are truly horrible.
Next thing you know, the girlie-men and manly-girl legislators will demand to have their own chamber at the capitol.
Way to go, Gov.!
I prefer "horrid".
If you don't understand what "marriage between one man and one woman" means, I'm not going to belabor the point with you. You can go to any protestant minister or Catholic Priest and ask them for something to read, a time to talk it over, and you'll probably find someone among them who will have an appointment time for you.
Great news.
Thank you, Governor Schwarzenegger!! It was the right thing to do.
BUMP
I prefer "hideous and malintended."
You make good points in your post 67. But the reality is, there isn't much difference between marriage and domestic partners. It's just psychological on both sides. Don't get me wrong, better to protect the word than to not protect the word. But in reality, it's an empty victory. Still, I'm glad to see them lose one too.
Hey, that'll work.
:-D )))
Very responsive to the will of the people.
First, isn't this the peace and love "conquer hate with dialogue" crowd?
Second, why does he think that a person who shot the governor of California would be alive after the security detail was finished firing?
Third, how does he expect to buy the assassin a drink when he has no job and lives in mom's basement?
Just caught it a few minutes ago, Howlin! Hooraaaayyy for Arnaald!
The courts?????
I'm with you on the democracy thing. That is important. And I want to protect marriage too. It's just that substantively it's all meaningless in California. They just create marriage by another name and harm California kids just the same.
"You and your gay agenda are Terminated."
I understand it very well. I'm just saying that marriage is its substance. If you give away the substance, then so what about the word.
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