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Wednesday, May 11, 2005

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  The Assembly and Senate Judiciary Committees both rejected an amendment offered by Republican Assemblyman Ray Haynes, who claimed the proposal would strengthen the intent of voters who approved a ballot measure five years ago that prevents the state from recognizing gay marriages performed elsewhere.

Other laws bar same-sex marriages from taking place in California.

Conservative groups immediately said they would try to gather the nearly 600,000 signatures required to put an initiative banning gay marriage on the ballot in 2006.

"This disturbing display of arrogance against marriage and the voters means average Californians must take matters into their own hands," said Randy Thomasson, president of the Campaign for Children and Families.

Democratic state Sen. Sheila Kuehl, the state's first openly gay legislator, predicted otherwise. "This is about America, the place where no civil rights movement has ever failed," she said.

Haynes said the Legislature and the courts had "eviscerated" the meaning of the law banning gay marriages and made up legal arguments to determine it was unconstitutional.

"When the people said only that marriage could be between a man and a woman, they knew exactly what they were talking about," he said. "The words were clear. The meaning was clear. The intention was clear."

Opponents of the amendment said it was an attempt to repeal domestic partners' rights. Since 1999, the Legislature has approved a series of bills recognizing domestic partnerships and granting them most of the rights given married couples, including the right to sue for wrongful death of a partner and to adopt a partner's child.

Democratic Assemblyman Lloyd Levine said the proposed amendment amounted to "legalizing discrimination."

"The fact is plain and simple," he said. "There is a group of people who, for whatever reason, do not like gays and cannot tolerate the idea of two women sleeping together or two men sleeping together. To put that into the constitution ... is simply unconscionable."

Meanwhile, in Raleigh, N.C., hundreds of people rallied behind the Legislative Building Tuesday to urge legislators to allow them to vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.

"You've got a very vocal, savvy minority that wants marriage to be understood differently," said protester Mark Faggion.

An election on the proposed constitutional amendment appears unlikely. Two-thirds majorities in both the House and Senate are needed to authorize a statewide vote, but referendum bills filed in both chambers have sat in committees for three months without action.

North Carolina already has a law banning same-sex marriages and the state doesn't recognize gay marriages performed in other states.

© 2005 Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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