A first in nation, the California Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage. The vote was 21 to 15, with all Republicans voting against.
Next, the bill many pass in the Assembly, or not. It narrowly lost (by three votes) in June there.
The vote count breaks down in the San Francisco Chronicle article.
However, if it passes both houses, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger promises a veto if it does. He hides behind the courts on this one. Ironically, he takes the opposite position of many anti-same-sex-marriage reactionaries, who bemoan court interpretations that legalize civil unions or marriage for homosexuals.
In state, some opponents point to ballot question Proposition 22 in 2000 that added one-man/one-woman wording to the Family Code. Others say in effect, "Gays already have a domestic partnership law. Can't they just go away?"
Optimistic on the pro side, Executive Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, Kate Kendell said, "In every civil rights struggle, there is a moment when the tide starts to turn, and I want so much to believe that history will look back on this day and this vote as that moment for our community."
2 comments:
Massmarrier, I'm a little confused that the SF Chronicle article you link to says, "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not taken a position on the bill, but he recently suggested that a legislative effort to approve same-sex marriage could backfire." which seems to be slightly different from your, "promises a veto."
Do you think maybe he's trying to dissuade the Assembly from passing it, but wouldn't necessarily veto if they did?
That's a sharp eye, ryvr. That's because it was from another source. I confess that I finally noticed how long my posts have gotten recently and I am not citing as many as I use.
By the bye, the LA Times in its coverage quoted Arnie's flack as saying she would not comment on a veto before the bill hit his desk. The first story in that paper included "Signaling a likely veto if it does pass, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's spokeswoman said he preferred to let judges sort out the legality of gay marriage; such a case is moving toward the state Supreme Court."
The Sacramento Bee, the capitol rag, should have had the definitive article, but has so-so coverage. I linked to SF Gate because it had the vote counts.
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