Thursday, September 15, 2005
Governator Wants Confab With LGBT Group Over Upcoming Veto
(Link) Apparently shocked that he's ticked off such a large group by vowing to veto the okay for gay marriage, Schwarzenegger calls for a meeting with with Cali's community leaders. The catch? He hasn't actually committed to showing up for it himself.
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By Mark Worrell
365Gay.com
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked Wednesday for a meeting with leaders of California's gay community, angry over his threatened veto of legislation to allow same-sex marriage.
The meeting will take place in the governor's Sacramento office next Wednesday. It will include Equality California executive director Geoff Kors and two other members of the EQCA board. Also taking part will be senior staffers for the governor. The meeting will be chaired by the governor's chief of staff, but Schwarzenegger has not committed to be there himself.
Nevertheless, EQCA Wednesday night called the invitation a major step forward.
On the table will be a number of concerns for the LGBT community in the state, but chief among them is the marriage bill.
The gay marriage bill was passed in the Assembly September 6 by one vote. The Senate passed it on a 21 to 15 vote previous week. (story) Following the vote Schwarzenegger issued a statement saying he would veto the bill.
To give Equality California more time to pressure the governor the Assembly, using a procedural maneuver, has held up delivering the legislation to Schwarzenegger.
EQCA spokesperson Eddie Gutierrez told 365Gay.com that its pressure tactics are having an effect.
"The wisdom of our message is working, and our ‘12 Days of Equality’ project to educate the Governor about our families is certainly on the right path toward full equality," Gutierrez said.
Also on the agenda for the meeting are concerns by the group about three other pieces of legislation passed by the legislature.
One is a bill banning discrimination against gays, lesbians and the transgendered in employment, housing and the delivery of goods and services. (story) Another bill would allow hundreds of California state workers who retired prior to January 1, 2005 to take advantage of the state's Domestic Partnership law. The third would make homes of domestic partners community property under California divorce law.
Schwarzenegger has not indicated if he will sign or veto any of the three. Earlier this month he vetoed a fourth LGBT bill that would have banned the use of any negative appeal based on prejudice against gay and lesbian people by candidates or campaign committees.
The meeting will also sound out the governor on two proposed constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage. The organization would like Schwarzenegger to publicly oppose both measures.
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