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.
That word needs to mean something.
It is protecting a standard of civilized society to protect marriage.
Good for Arnold! The legislators who voted for this end-run around the voters should be removed from office.
ahnuld - you have come back.
Gotta love the gay marriage TERMINATOR! ;-)
In Romans 1, Paul says that woman having sex with women is a sign of serious spiritual degradation..."even their women"...in other words, the warning about men was because men would be quicker to try homosexual behavior because of our greater sex drive.
Thanks for the ping Howlin. This is great news, Arnie gets it. LOL, I'd love to see the look on Rosie's ugly puss right now!
Please FReepmail me if you want on or off my ‘miscellaneous’ ping list.
Terminate that legislation.
LOL!
No marriage for girly men!
If gay marriage bans really are the last frontier of bigotry, as one CA assemblyman has said, why would they need to hide it? Is he saying that 62% of Californians are hateful bigots?
Still, I applaud what Arnold did here. He gave the people of California the respect they deserve. Good for him. It's just that the legislature has already betrayed the essence of Prop 22 with all their Domestic Partner stuff. I fail to see what's protected. Your kids still get a heavy dose of it in public schools. California is one of the last places I would want to raise a child.
Skinner's too busy hunting down Lihop and Mihop references.
"I'm do party poo-per!"
Good
Or eventual national election...
Good. I think he did this as a matter of political calculation, but I'll take it, thanks.
THANK YOU, GOVERNOR!!!
(There's hope for you yet!)
Thanks for the ping. :-)
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