News
2005-09-30
Schwarzenegger
vetoes same-sex marriage bill
Schwarzenegger
kills marriage bill
Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger on Thursday followed through on a promise
Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger on Thursday followed through on a promise to
veto a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in California,
saying the issue should be decided by voters or the
courts. "This bill simply adds confusion to a
constitutional issue," the Republican governor said in
a veto message. "If the ban of same-sex marriage is
unconstitutional, this bill is not necessary. If the
ban is constitutional, this bill is ineffective."
"The governor has
simply delayed—not ended—the inevitability of
marriage equality in California," said Geoffrey Kors,
executive director for the gay rights group Equality
California, which sponsored the Religious Freedom and
Civil Marriage Protection Act killed by
Schwarzenegger. "When called upon to take a position on the
civil rights issue of the day, Governor Schwarzenegger
decided to block the doorway to equality. As a result
of his veto, hundreds of thousands of lesbian, gay,
bisexual, and transgender Californians and their families
will continue to live without equal protection of the law."
“Log Cabin
expresses deep disappointment in Governor
Schwarzenegger’s decision to veto legislation
recognizing civil marriage equality,” said
Patrick Guerriero, president of the gay GOP group Log Cabin
Republicans. “Log Cabin Republicans take the
governor at his word that if, and when, the courts of
California join the legislature in recognizing the right to
civil marriage equality, he will uphold and support that
decision."
Guerriero thanked
Schwarzenegger for sending a strong signal to the
people of California that he will not allow the initiative
process to marginalize gay and lesbian families. In
his veto message, Schwarzenegger also said, “I
support current domestic-partner rights and will continue
to vigorously defend and support these rights…and
will not support any rollback.”
Guerriero also
praised the governor for signing four significant pieces
of legislation of importance to the LGBT community: Assembly
Bill 1400, the Civil Rights Act of 2005, adds sexual
orientation and marital status to the Unruh Civil
Rights Act; AB1586 prohibits discrimination based on
gender identity in health care plans; SB565 amends existing
law to treat registered domestic partners the same as
married couples regarding property tax reappraisal
when a partner passes away; and SB973 amends existing
law to allow public employees who retired before the state's
domestic-partnership law went into effect to add a
domestic partner as a beneficiary. (Advocate.com)
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