US Governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Wednesday that he will veto the same-sex marriage bill approved by the state legislature on Tuesday.
California's legislature became the first in the nation to pass a bill to allow gay marriage, defining the institution as gender-neutral. Conservatives, however, said the bill was detrimental to families and urged the governor to veto it.
The Tuesday vote secured the bare minimum number of votes required to pass Bill AB 849, at 41 – 35 with four abstentions, but still requires the signature of Schwarzenegger to make it law.
Schwarzenegger defended his avowed veto on the grounds that it would conflict with the intent of voters who approved an initiative five years ago. Proposition 22 was placed on the ballot to prevent same-sex marriages from being performed in California.
The governor’s press secretary, Margita Thompson, said in a statement: “We cannot have a system where the people vote and the Legislature derails that vote.
“Out of respect for the will of the people, the governor will veto (the bill).”
The bill which defines marriage as a civil contract between “two persons” conflicts with Proposition 22 which states that “only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognised in California”.
The battle over same-sex marriage in the state and throughout the nation is being waged on several fronts. In California, Christian groups have endorsed two initiatives that may make their way into ballots in 2006 calling for a state constitutional amendment that would define marriage as being only between one man and one woman.
The definition of marriage is well defined in Western society ... it's one man and one woman.
US Assemblyman Chuck DeVore
Randy Thomasson, the president of Campaign for Children and Families who is leading one of the amendment initiatives, said that the governor "can't afford to sign the gay marriage license bill," according to the Associated Press.
"He'll actually become a hero to the majority of Californians when he vetoes it," Thomasson added.
