Sacramento, Calif., Sep 6, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Last evening, the California state legislature became the first legislative body in the U.S. to approve a bill allowing for same-sex marriage--a move that has shocked many religious and pro-family groups around the state.
The bill, AB 849, which passed the state Senate last week, still has yet to be approved by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, which has watchers on both sides of the gay-marriage debate waiting with baited breath.
Karen England, of the Capital Resource Institute said that, "This is a sad day for California families because the very foundation of the family is being redefined and destroyed…The legislature, by callously disregarding their constituents, are proving that they are more concerned about embracing a group of adults, identified only by their sexual behavior, than promoting healthy families for the sake of our children."
Last week, the Campaign for Children and Families pointed out that the bill’s passage effectively negates Proposition 22, which passed with 61% of the statewide vote in 2000. That proposition said that “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."