Here is the story:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today vetoed a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage in California, saying that although he believes gay couples are “entitled to full protection under the law,” the bill would have wrongly reversed an initiative California voters approved five years ago.
“I do not believe the Legislature can reverse an initiative approved by the people of California,” the governor wrote in his veto message.
Schwarzenegger’s rejection of the measure was expected, even though when he was asked about same-sex marriage last year he said, “I don’t care one way or the other.”
The bill, AB 849 by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) was the first sanctioning same-sex marriage to clear a state legislature without a court order. It passed the Senate and Assembly earlier this month with no Republican votes and without a vote to spare after lengthy, debate.
Leno accused Schwarzenegger of “hiding behind the fig leaf” of Proposition 22, which 61% of California voters approved in 2000. It says that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”
“The governor has failed his test of leadership and has missed a history opportunity to stand up for the basic civil rights of all Californians,” said Leno. “He cannot claim to support fair and equal legal protections for same sex couples and veto the very bill that would have provided it to them.”
Schwarzenegger’s veto will not end the debate over same-sex marriage in a state whose residents are evenly divided, 46% to 46%, according to an August poll.
We will see what comes of this…
Narvy
One interesting thing here is that the democratically elected representatives of the people passed legislation negating an initiative that had been democratically passed by the people they democratically represent.
Narvy
I can hardly wait for the thoughtful-analysis crowd to accuse me of anti-gay bias for that comment.
DougJ
Why do you hate gay people, Narvy?
Narvy
DougJ —
I know I can always count on you. Thanks, Dude.
DougJ
But, Narvy, as much as I want to distance myself from your hatred of gay people, I would like to share an article with you about why we shouldn’t use the word “gay”.
Shygetz
Narvy–it is interesting, and I wonder if they will pay a price at the polls next election. I think they did the right thing, but they definitely did it in the face of a recent referendum. Very odd.
Oh,Boy.Stupidity!
Narvy — This is why the upcoming redistricting prop. is going to be so contested in CA. The CA legislators, both sides, have no interest in serving the people. Just themselves.
KC
I think the referendum had to do with marriages outside the state, not in state marriages:
The referendum did not outlaw gay marriage since it was already illegal by an act of the legislature in the 1970s. However, I think that the governor’s people did their math since the veto can only help him. After all, the win on prop. 22 in 2000 was around 60% of the vote and most voters are not up to speed on the ins-and-outs of the law. In the least, he’ll get more conservative voters behind him, maybe.
As for me, as a Californian, I really don’t give a damn about this issue one way or the other.
Narvy
I’m astonished! o.b.s. and I are agreeing on something. What am I doing wrong?
I have read/heard that the prop has some undesirable provisions, but I haven’t done my civic duty and actually read it yet. It may be a case of inseparable baby and bathwater. I really hate voting against something I favor because it’s accompanied by something worse than what it purports to correct.
DougJ
Where does it end, though? Once we start letting men marry men and women marrying women, why not let men marry dogs, why not let women marry horses, why not let Ann Coulter marry a human being? Where does it end?
Steve S
Actually I think it’s more interesting… that the anti-gay bigots who pushed these amendments and such, have instead damaged their cause.
As a result of making this an issue… it appears that more people are waking up to it, and are becoming more open to the idea.
Oh yeah, and this is another example of why Democracy is bad. Those stupid propositions in California have destroyed the state’s ability to govern.
Krista
…shudder….
Narvy
Actually, it’s a hyper-partisan, totally ineffectual legislature. The initiatives and referenda are the only way in CA to get anything done.