(Ca) Gov. Rejects Gay Marriage Bill

[paineinthearse]

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger plans to veto historic legislation that would have legalized same-sex marriage.

http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-me-marriage8sep08,1,6488290.story?coll=la-headlines-politics&ctrack=1&cset=true

Citing Prop. 22, Gov. Rejects Gay Marriage Bill
By Michael Finnegan and Maura Dolan
Times Staff Writers

September 8, 2005

A day after California's Legislature became the first in the nation to pass a bill to legalize same-sex marriage, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced through an aide Wednesday that he would veto the measure "out of respect for the will of the people." In a careful statement, Schwarzenegger press secretary Margita Thompson invoked the voter approval in March 2000 of Proposition 22, which said: "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California." "The governor believes the matter should be determined not by legislative action — which would be unconstitutional — but by court decision or another vote of the people of our state," the statement said. "We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote." The statement also said Schwarzenegger "believes that gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against." It did not offer his opinion on same-sex marriage, but when asked about it last year, the governor said, "I don't care one way or the other."

The California Supreme Court is likely to decide next year whether Proposition 22 and other state laws that define marriage are constitutional.

The issue burst into prominence in California last year when San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom directed officials there to issue marriage licenses for same-sex couples. The move drew thousands of couples to the city for highly publicized weddings before the state Supreme Court ruled that Newsom had exceeded his authority. Massachusetts allows same-sex marriages, but they derived from court order, not the legislative approval seen in Sacramento on Tuesday.

In addition to the likely court ruling on same-sex marriage, the issue may be headed back to the ballot: Opponents of gay marriage have been collecting signatures to qualify measures for the June 2006 vote that would ban same-sex marriage.

more......

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Times staff writers Eric Bailey, Maria L. La Ganga, Richard Marosi, Monte Morin, David Reyes, Lee Romney and Robert Salladay contributed to this report.

[Catfight]

1. Who'd think one white male from another country would have the power

to deny a group of natural born American citizens basic civil rights? This is one f'k'd up country.

[2Design]

15. wasn't kissinger - a foreign too - just came to mind for some

reason - they get power to destroy

[davidinalameda]

2. I have yet to figure out if I'm depressed by this

but Ahnuld will pay for this veto

[Prodemsouth]

9. It will help him win in 06. He will be your Governor again if you

live in CA.

[saigon68]

3. They'll make him ambassador to the Vatican

Wait and see

[Sandpiper]

4. When did it become Unconstitutional for the Legislature to pass laws?

To be replaced by judicial fiat for law making?


I must be living in bizarro world.

[NYC Liberal]

5. How DARE the legislature legislate!

We have to do something about those activist lawmakers making laws.

[imperialismispasse]

6. Ha ha ha ha ha!

What the hell is going on in this country.

[Ravenseye]

7. Activist Governors

They complain when 'activist' judges do their job and interpret the law as saying that there isn't anything prohibiting gay marriage. They say that if you want it to be a law then the legislature should pass it.

So a legislature passes it and an 'activist' governor, does his job (whether we like it or not), and they approve.

They're such hypocrites.

It's only a matter of time before Gay Americans gain all the rights they deserve as equal members of our community. Fighting against it is the purvey of bigots.

[Prodemsouth]

8. His approval rating will go up. It is on its way up

now that he says he will veto it. I was the one that said here that the Republican Supreme Court selected Bush in 2000. But it was the Republican appointed Mass State Supreme Court that handed Bush the Presidency in 2004 with their vote on Same Sex marriage.

[wiley]

10. Absolutely spineless moron

That's what Republicans call "Leaders". The only valid legislative efforts are those where Republicans get their way.

[xchrom]

11. grrrr....

all that supposed liberal attitude about gay folk -- and now this.

well, he's republican -- what can i expect -- oh yeah prodemsouth and all those terrific liberal activists making such great headway south of the mason dixon line.

[IndyJones]

19. CA is mainly democrat, so in CA, this isn't a partisan issue.

The dems voted it down in CA five years ago. Nothing is preventing them from putting it on the ballot again.

[xchrom]

22. having lived since the 60's -- i can tell cali can be very conservative

and that's one of the primary reasons to have strong, ethical political leadership -- so that minorities don't have to suffer from the tyranny of the majority.

careful with your descriptions of my beloved state.

[paineinthearse]

12. What are the party numbers in the Assembly

Are there enough to over-ride a veto?

[davidinalameda]

14. nope

the bill barely passed both chambers

[The_Casual_Observer]

13. All of a sudden the courts are supposed to make the laws.

I'm confused.

[marshall]

16. Take it to the people!

[losdiablosgato]

18. They did and gays lost

Proposition 22, approved in a public vote in 2000, stated that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in California". Sorry the the governor is following the voiced will of the people.

[xchrom]

23. people also thought it was ok to spank their wives.

we construct government to live in community with everybody -- if you don't want to live in community with everybody -- there's a nice cave in the himalayas waiting for a tenant.

[IndyJones]

20. People want to pick and choose which laws the courts may overturn.

I'm confused, too.

[marshall]

21. Redo it

People need to get out on the street and figure out a way to redesign the law so that enough people will vote it in.

[DFWJock]

17. Needed immediately:

New poster boy for Uncle Tom's Log Cabin.
Must be able to talk out of both sides of your mouth.