Schwarzenegger Rejects Gay Marriage Plans
Just two days after California’s Same-Sex Marriage Bill was approved by the upper house of the state’s parliament, Arnold Schwarzenegger(pictured), the Governor of California has announced that he will veto the bill.
The Governor, was initially expected to have supported the change in the law, however Mr Schwarzenegger has stated that he believes that gay marriage would be unconstitutional.
Five years ago, the state’s voters approved Proposition, a measure that barred the state from recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states or countries. The Governor’s Press Secretary, Margita Thompson, said that there couldn’t be “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).”
Gay rights groups have quickly criticised Mr Schwarzenegger, and have accused him of abandoning the bipartisan ideals that paved the way for his election in. Clearly he’s pandering to an extreme right wing, which was not how he got elected,” said Equality California’s Geoff Kors. “He got elected with record numbers of lesbian and gay voters who had not previously voted for a republican, and he sold us out.”
There is one hope for campaigners, if the California Assembly and Senate can override the Governor’s veto, but it would require a two-thirds, which according to experts is unlikely.
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