California Assembly approves gay marriage

Jun 06,2007 00:00 by UPI

SACRAMENTO -- The California Assembly in Sacramento has approved a bill legalizing same-sex marriage.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed an earlier gay-marriage bill but sponsoring Assemblyman Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, said he hoped to change the governor's mind by introducing him to "children and families who suffer on a regular basis due to the current inequity in the law," The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.

"I'm certain that he's an open-minded and open-hearted individual and when he learns more, he'll understand more," Leno said.

The bill, which passed 42-34 with all of the chamber's Republicans and two Democrats voting against it, will be considered next by the state Senate.

Opponents said same-sex marriage should be considered by California voters, who approved Proposition 22, a 2000 initiative that states only marriages between men and women are valid.

Voters "don't support marriage between anybody but a man and woman. They voted for it. If we believe California has changed, then we need to go back to the voters of California," Assemblywoman Sharon Runner, R-Antelope Valley, said.