
Calif. Closer to Gay Marriage
SACRAMENTO, CA -- California got a step closer to gay
marriage yesterday as the California Legislature became the first
legislative body in the country to approve same-sex marriage. A signature
from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is now all that stands in the way of
California approving gay marriage.
The Governor has 30 days to either sign or veto the bill. Schwarzenegger's
office has repeated that he believes the issue should be decided either by
a vote of the people or a court decision. He has said he supports the
state's current domestic partnership laws. "It's always
a dilemma whether to follow or lead. This is one of those times history is
looking to us to lead," said Assemblyman Tom Umberg, D-Santa Ana, one of
the swing votes, during more than an hour of debate. The final vote was
41-35, with all Republicans and a handful of Democrats opposed.
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"[bans on gay
marriage represent] the last frontier of bigotry and discrimination, and
it's time we put an end to it." |
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The legislation, which failed in the assembly by four votes in June, was
boosted this time by the Senate's approval of a same-sex marriage bill
last week.
Assembly member Paul Koretz, a Democrat, argued bans on gay marriage were
"the last frontier of bigotry and discrimination, and it's time we put an
end to it".
The bill, AB849, does not require any religious organization to recognize
or perform marriages for same-sex couples. The bill makes the law defining
marriage gender-neutral. California state law did not place gender into
the marriage code until 1977. [Back to News Headlines]
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