Schwarzenegger to Veto Gay Marriage Bill

clock Sep 17, 2007 10:54 pm US/Pacific
Schwarzenegger Says He Will Veto Gay Marriage Bill
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(AP) SACRAMENTO Governor Schwarzenegger said today that he will veto the same-sex marriage bill sent to him this year by state lawmakers.

He's also promising to veto any such future bills -- unless voters change the results of a 2000 ballot initiative that limited marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

The bill redefines marriage as a civil contract between two people. But it would still let religious groups refuse to sanction the unions.

Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar gay marriage bill in 2005, again citing the 61 percent of voters who favored Proposition 22.

The gay rights organization Equality California, says Proposition 22 covers only marriages performed outside California.

The state Supreme Court could decide next year if the state's ban on same-sex marriage ban is unconstitutional.