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.
Thank you Arnold!
And for crying out load, this is how every single politician in california should be responding! The job of the legislature is not to override referenda!
You mean he's going to queer the deal cooked up by the left-gay alliance?
Arnie! You just earned your entire paycheck!!!!
Wonderful!
Thats such a noble and courageous act!
Now fire 1 out of every 5 state workers you clown!
Thanks, got it.
Wouldn't be necessary if courts would stop overturning voter referendums.
REALLY wouldn't be necessary if people would drop it with the gay behavior and lifestyle BS.
Arnie just figured out that if you find a 62% issue, stand next to it and wave. Good for him.
Now about all that borrowing and run away spending Mr. Governator....
Thats such a noble and courageous act!
Now fire 1 out of every 5 state workers you clown!
This will improve Arnold's chances of success in this year's special election. It will be easier now to recruit ground troops for the grassroots campaign that will be needed. Also, his endorsement of these reform measures will mean more.
Arnold hit the nail on the head when he said we cannot have a system where the legislature ignores a vote of the people.
And I love the fact that he did this immediately. It cuts short all the free, butt-kissing media publicity the Rats wanted to get from this disgusting move.
BRAVO, Terminator!!!!!!
Argh! Can you imagine the horros this state would be in if Bustamente had ~won~?!?
I can barely stand the imagining...
It's time again? Oh yea!
Yeah, I respect him for this. But the joke is, domestic partners are pretty much the same thing. So woohoo, people, you've protected a word.
And that's just the men.....
Wow, Arnold acted like a Republican today. There's a first for everything.
LOL.
Thank you, ARNOLD! You didn't let us down!!!
I'd love to if I only could. I had to restrain myself earlier today from blogging an entire hour about my earlier experiences with some of those employees, by the way.
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