Sacramento, Calif., Sep 7, 2005 / 22:00 pm
Many pro-family groups let out a collective sigh of relief today as the office of California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the former actor plans to veto a bill which would have allowed for same-sex marriage in the state, citing a respect for “the will of the people.”
AB 849, which passed the State Assembly Tuesday evening, and the State Senate last week, made California’s state legislature the first such body in the country to approve a bill allowing for same sex marriage.
The move outraged pro-family groups who argued that passage of the bill effectively negates Proposition 22, which passed a statewide vote in 2000 with 61% of the population affirming that “Only marriage between a man and a woman be valid or recognized in California."
Many have pointed out that the California State Constitution prohibits lawmakers from repealing or amending voter-approved initiatives.