Here is the story:
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today vetoed a bill that would have legalized same-sex marriage in California, saying that although he believes gay couples are “entitled to full protection under the law,” the bill would have wrongly reversed an initiative California voters approved five years ago.
“I do not believe the Legislature can reverse an initiative approved by the people of California,” the governor wrote in his veto message.
Schwarzenegger’s rejection of the measure was expected, even though when he was asked about same-sex marriage last year he said, “I don’t care one way or the other.”
The bill, AB 849 by Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) was the first sanctioning same-sex marriage to clear a state legislature without a court order. It passed the Senate and Assembly earlier this month with no Republican votes and without a vote to spare after lengthy, debate.
Leno accused Schwarzenegger of “hiding behind the fig leaf” of Proposition 22, which 61% of California voters approved in 2000. It says that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”
“The governor has failed his test of leadership and has missed a history opportunity to stand up for the basic civil rights of all Californians,” said Leno. “He cannot claim to support fair and equal legal protections for same sex couples and veto the very bill that would have provided it to them.”
Schwarzenegger’s veto will not end the debate over same-sex marriage in a state whose residents are evenly divided, 46% to 46%, according to an August poll.
We will see what comes of this…