By Bob Roehr
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed a same-sex marriage bill Sept. 29, a bill passed by the California legislature earlier in the month. It came as no surprise as his spokesman had announced that intent immediately after the measure passed. The legislature had delayed forwarding it to allow public pressure to build.
In his veto message Schwarzenegger said he was doing so 'because I do not believe the Legislature can reverse an initiative approved by the people of California.' He was referring to Proposition 22, which was passed in 2000. It said, 'Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.'
A San Francisco judge declared in March that the ban on same-sex unions was in violation of the state constitution. That case is wending its way through the appeals process.
Schwarzenegger added, 'I believe that lesbian and gay couples are entitled to full protection under the law and should not be discriminated against based upon their relationships. I support current domestic partnership rights and will continue to vigorously defend and enforce these rights and as such will not support any rollback.
'This bill simply adds confusion to a constitutional issue. If the ban of same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, this bill is not necessary. If the ban is constitutional, the bill is ineffective.'
Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who championed the legislation, said, 'The Governor has failed his test of leadership and missed a historic opportunity to stand up for the basic civil rights of all Californians.'
Leno pledged, 'We will continue to fight until our relationships are treated equally and we gain access to the rights and responsibilities of marriage, so that we may create loving, committed, stable homes for ourselves and our children.'
Geoffrey Kors, executive director of the principal statewide gay political group Equality California, said, 'The Governor has simply delayed—not ended—the inevitability of marriage equality in California.'
Jeff Bissiri, California director of Log Cabin Republicans, expressed his disappointment in the veto. But he took the words in Schwarzenegger's veto message to mean that the Governor would oppose antigay ballot initiatives that social conservatives hope to have on the ballot next year.
Eric Stern, executive director of National Stonewall Democrats, said, 'Governor Schwarzenegger has demonstrated by his veto that even the most progressively portrayed Republican officials will moderate their support for equality to please the conservative dictates of their party.'
At the same time as the veto, Schwarzenegger also signed four pro-gay bills that filled in gaps in current domestic-partnership regulations and made them the near-legal equivalent of marriage.
Kors said, 'While we are certainly grateful he signed our remaining legislation today, denying us marriage equality prevents us from truly enjoying equal protections guaranteed to everyone else.'
Two days later, and 3,000 miles to the east, Connecticut's civil-unions legislation took effect with little hoopla. As of Oct. 1, same-sex couples who are residents of the state can register for civil unions, which carry the same benefits as traditional marriage under state law.