Schwarzenegger Vows to Veto Gay Marriage Bill

The press secretary for California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Margita Thompson, issued a statement Wednesday that said the governor is planning to veto a controversial bill that would allow gay marriages in California. The legislation, Proposition 22, was given final approval Tuesday by lawmakers, but Schwarzenegger says that making it law would conflict with the intent of voters when they approved a ballot initiative five years ago. The proposition is intended to prevent the state of California from recognizing same-sex marriages that have been performed in other states or countries, and the original bill failed in the state Assembly by four votes in June. Wednesday’s vote, if it isn’t vetoed by Schwarzenegger, will make the California Legislature the first in the country to approve same-sex marriages. Court rulings last year have allowed gay marriage licenses in Massachusetts and civil unions in Vermont.

The bill’s most outspoken sponsor is Assemblyman Mark Leno, an openly gay Democrat from San Francisco. When his bill failed to pass in June, Leno tied it to another bill in the Senate, which voted by a slim majority last week to approve the bill. Four Democrats who did not vote in June were responsible for the winning margin this week. But Schwarzenegger has indicated all along that he would veto the bill if it passed, saying that the debate over same-sex marriage should be decided by voters or the courts, not by the Legislature. The governor’s statement said, "Out of respect for the will of the people, the governor will veto." It added, "He is proud that California provides the most rigorous protections in the nation for domestic partners."

The announcement resulted in a noticeable lessening of the celebrations by supporters of the bill, who had cheered, hugged, and kissed the night before when the passing vote of the Assembly sent the bill to the governor’s desk. But despite his promises to veto the bill, Schwarzenegger tried to soften the blow by issuing a statement saying he "believes gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationship." As opponents of same-sex marriages work on propositions for the ballot next year that would change the state constitution to prohibit gay marriages, Democratic Assemblyman Paul Koretz has called such bans "the last frontier of bigotry and discrimination."