California marriage equality bill before Assembly committee

Tuesday history will be made again in a legislative hearing on Mark Leno's AB 43 (Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act) tomorrow by the California Assembly Judiciary Committee. A previous version of the bill (AB 19) made history by becoming the first bill ever passed by a state legislature in the United States but was vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger September 29, 2005.

Previously the Governor refused to take a position on the pending "gender neutral marriage" bill prior to vetoing it but this year he has already announced that he intends to veto the Leno marriage bill.

The Californian posted an article on its website titled "Veto likely again for gay marriage bill" which says:

In his veto message in 2005, Schwarzenegger said the Leno bill violated Proposition 22, the anti-gay marriage initiative approved by California voters in 2000, and that any attempt to legalize same-sex weddings also should go on the ballot.

[...]

A Field Poll released last month found that 43 percent of those questioned said they supported gay marriage, up from 38 percent in 1997 and 30 percent in 1985. The Public Policy Institute of California found a similar trend in its polling.

Despite those numbers, Leno said civil rights shouldn't be determined at the ballot box.

"The governor's civil rights, as well as my own civil rights, shouldn't be placed before the voters," he said. "That's not how we make decisions regarding equal protection under the law for all citizens."

Mad Professah heartily agrees with that last quote from Assemblymember Leno. Civil rights are not a popularity contest and should not be subject to a vote of the people.