Wednesday, September 07, 2005
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal
Gay marriage bill approved in California
Assembly vote sends legislation
to Schwarzenegger
By STEVE LAWRENCE
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Dick Otterstad, left, and his son, Luke, demonstrate against a same-sex marriage bill that was approved Tuesday by the California Assembly on a 41-35 vote.
Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
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SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The California Legislature on Tuesday became the first legislative body in the country to allow same-sex marriages, as gay-rights advocates overcame two earlier defeats in the Assembly.
The 41-35 vote sends the bill to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The bill's supporters compared the legislation to earlier civil rights campaigns, including efforts to eradicate slavery and give women the right to vote.
"Do what we know is in our hearts," said the bill's sponsor, San Francisco Democrat Mark Leno. "Make sure all California families will have the same protection under the law."
Leno's bill had failed in the Assembly by four votes in June, but he was confident he could get it through on a second try after the state Senate approved a same-sex marriage bill last week.
Assemblyman Paul Koretz, D-West Hollywood, called bans on gay marriage "the last frontier of bigotry and discrimination, and it's time we put an end to it."
Assemblyman Tom Umberg, a Santa Ana Democrat who abstained when another gay marriage bill fell four votes short in June, said he was concerned about what his three children would think of him if he didn't join those "who sought to take a leadership role in terms of tolerance, equality and fairness."
But opponents repeatedly cited the public's vote five years ago to approve Proposition 22, an initiative that was put on the ballot by gay marriage opponents to keep California from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries.
"History will record that you betrayed your constituents and their moral and ethical values," said Assemblyman Jay La Suer, R-La Mesa. "You are not leading; you have gone astray."
Specifically, Proposition 22 added a section to the state Family Code stating that "only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."
Leno, D-San Francisco, had vowed to bring the issue to a vote Tuesday after the state Senate approved the bill on a 21-15 vote last week. He said the momentum generated by that support would help him find the votes he needed for passage in the Assembly.
Leno said a recent poll found Californians are now evenly divided over the issue.
