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.

"[bans on gay marriage represent] the last frontier of bigotry and discrimination, and it's time we put an end to it."

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.