Gay marriage ban qualifies for Calif. ballot

[RockX]

SAN FRANCISCO – An initiative that would again outlaw gay marriage in California has qualified for the November ballot, the Secretary of State announced Monday.

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said a random check of signatures submitted by the measure's sponsors showed that they had gathered enough names for it to be put to voters.

The measure would amend the state constitution to “provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

If approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4, the amendment would overturn the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state. It is similar to gay marriage bans that have been adopted in 26 other states.

In response to the Supreme Court's May 15 ruling, California public health officials already have amended marriage license applications to read “Party A” and “Party B” instead of bride and groom. Local officials have been told to start issuing the revised licenses to same-sex couples on June 17.

Gay men and lesbians would still be able to get married between then and the election, even with the initiative pending, unless the court agrees to stay its decision until after Nov. 4, as the amendment's sponsors have requested.

If the marriages proceed during the next five months, it is unclear whether they would be nullified if the amendment passes. Some legal scholars have said the Supreme Court might get called on again to settle that question.

To qualify for the ballot, the measure needed 694,354 petition signatures, an amount equal to 8 percent of the votes cast during the last governor's race.

Proponents submitted 1,120,801 signatures in late April, and county clerks determined the measure qualified by verifying the validity of 3 percent of the signatures they received, according to Bowen.



Well, that didn't take long, less than a month to get over a million signatures.

[Battleborne]

SAN FRANCISCO – An initiative that would again outlaw gay marriage in California has qualified for the November ballot, the Secretary of State announced Monday.

California Secretary of State Debra Bowen said a random check of signatures submitted by the measure's sponsors showed that they had gathered enough names for it to be put to voters.

The measure would amend the state constitution to “provide that only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.”

If approved by a majority of voters on Nov. 4, the amendment would overturn the recent California Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in the state. It is similar to gay marriage bans that have been adopted in 26 other states.

In response to the Supreme Court's May 15 ruling, California public health officials already have amended marriage license applications to read “Party A” and “Party B” instead of bride and groom. Local officials have been told to start issuing the revised licenses to same-sex couples on June 17.

Gay men and lesbians would still be able to get married between then and the election, even with the initiative pending, unless the court agrees to stay its decision until after Nov. 4, as the amendment's sponsors have requested.

If the marriages proceed during the next five months, it is unclear whether they would be nullified if the amendment passes. Some legal scholars have said the Supreme Court might get called on again to settle that question.

To qualify for the ballot, the measure needed 694,354 petition signatures, an amount equal to 8 percent of the votes cast during the last governor's race.

Proponents submitted 1,120,801 signatures in late April, and county clerks determined the measure qualified by verifying the validity of 3 percent of the signatures they received, according to Bowen.



Well, that didn't take long, less than a month to get over a million signatures.

Thanks to the California Supreme Court...the will of the voters were overturned...what they do need is a State Constitutional amendment...Or better yet a US Constitutional amendment!

[uscitizen]

it will fail.

[Battleborne]

it will fail.

The majority across the nation feels this way...you may be disappointed us cit...but life is not always fair...unless you want to live in a Communist Country and by some fluke those in charge are gay!...Then you may see your wish come true!

[uscitizen]

Gay communists ????

go to bed BB.

[Battleborne]

Gay communists ????

go to bed BB.

Not mine...you better go to bed us cit...before you become depressed!

[uscitizen]

depressed ?

Now why would I be depressed ?

the republicans are finishing up trashing themselves.

And besides they are starting on my new cement pond next week.
With a screen canopy to keep out the cicadas and such vermin.

[FUCK THE POLICE]

The majority across the nation feels this way...you may be disappointed us cit...but life is not always fair...unless you want to live in a Communist Country and by some fluke those in charge are gay!...Then you may see your wish come true!

http://www.reuters.com/article/lifes...40828920080528

51% against
43% for

Well out of the margin of error. And as time goes on, support for the ballot measure will weaken and weaken. I seriously doubt it will get more than 35% at poll time.

I'm surprised you people allow your constitution to be nullfied with only fifty-percent of the vote in any case.

Anyway, say hello to your gay-married neighbors, BB. The instution of marriage in America has finally been respected, and the will of bigots has been overturned.

[Don Quixote]

ignorance and religion never take long for people to show their hatred of what they fear

i shall vote against it and hope enough of my fellow californians do likewise

love is never in sufficient quantities so how can more adult love hurt this world

[Don Quixote]

CALIFORNIA CONSTITUTION
ARTICLE 2 VOTING, INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM, AND RECALL


SEC. 8. (a) The initiative is the power of the electors to propose
statutes and amendments to the Constitution and to adopt or reject
them.
(b) An initiative measure may be proposed by presenting to the
Secretary of State a petition that sets forth the text of the
proposed statute or amendment to the Constitution and is certified to
have been signed by electors equal in number to 5 percent in the
case of a statute, and 8 percent in the case of an amendment to the
Constitution, of the votes for all candidates for Governor at the
last gubernatorial election.

[ib1yysguy]

Lets just ban marriage.

[Don Quixote]

Lets just ban marriage.

ib

nah, too many tax advantages and think of the lawyers and investigators thrown out of work

[Damocles]

Time to see exactly how liberal CA really is then, eh?

[FUCK THE POLICE]

I'm actually not feeling good about this. This is just going to be another embarrassment to gay rights. The CA supreme court perhaps should not have acted so quickly...

[Damocles]

I'm actually not feeling good about this. This is just going to be another embarrassment to gay rights. The CA supreme court perhaps should not have acted so quickly...

So you think CA is less liberal than MA? Interesting.