Schwarzenegger Vows to Veto Gay Marriage Bill
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday that he plans to veto a bill that would allow gay couples to be married.

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."

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