State Senator Tries to Undercut Prop. 8

Openly homosexual San Francisco state senator and Most Holy Redeemer favorite Mark Leno, (go here to see Senator Leno attending a "leather" function at Most Holy Redeemer's parish hall in 2007) is trying to undercut Proposition 8.

Leno is attempting what “Catholics for the Common Good” Chairman Bill May calls “a legislative slight of hand tactic” to force the state of California to recognize same-sex “marriages” taking place in other states.

Bill tells us:

“Because of a legislative slight of hand tactic called ‘gut and amend‘, we are called on once again to defend Prop 8 in the California Legislature. A hearing on SB 54, a bill to recognize same-sex ‘marriages’ from other states is scheduled to be heard in the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Thursday, July 9.

The bill is co-authored by Senator Marc Leno (D- San Francisco) and sponsored by Equality California. According to May, SB 54 “…started as healthcare legislation, passed the Senate floor, moved to the Assembly where it passed the Health Committee. On its way to the Assembly Judiciary Committee, something changed – EVERYTHING CHANGED. All the original language was stripped out and an attack in Prop 8 was substituted -- after it had been reviewed by three legislative committees and passed the Senate as a completely different bill."

“The bill seeks to recognize same-sex ‘marriages’ from other states. If the out-of-state same-sex ‘marriages’ took place after the passage of Prop 8, all of the rights and privileges would still be recognized, except for the use of the word ‘marriage‘. This is a clear violation of Article I, section 7.5 of the California Constitution (Prop 8) that reads, ‘Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.’ The California Supreme Court has already upheld Prop 8.”

“The Court specifically stated that their ruling had no effect on same-sex “marriages” from other states or countries (page 135, note 46). If SB 54 passes, it will create a flimsy basis for new legal challenges that will waste more taxpayer money fighting the clearly expressed will of the voters on traditional marriage. This is particularly outrageous at a time when the state is forced to cut deeply into funding for vital human needs because of the current budget crisis.”

Senator Leno’s “Facebook” page describes the bill:

“Senator Leno’s Senate Bill 54, sponsored by Equality California, has been amended to clarify that same-sex couples who married outside of California before Proposition 8 went into effect on November 5, 2008 are recognized as married spouses. The bill also confirms that same-sex couples who married outside California after November 5, 2008, or plan to do so in the future, must receive the same rights, protections, benefits, obligations and responsibilities afforded to opposite-sex spouses, with the sole exception of the designation of “marriage.’…

The Court’s decision states that California must recognize the marriages of couples who married in California before the passage of Prop 8 but does not specify how couples who married outside of the state should be recognized….”

The Leno bill is is co-authored by the members of the LGBT Legislative Caucus, including Senator Christine Kehoe and Assembly members Tom Ammiano and John A. Pérez.

SB 54 will be heard by the Assembly Judiciary Committee on Thursday, July 9, before Friday's legislative deadline for bills to be reported out of policy committees. Catholics for the Common Good asks that Californians concerned about this maneuver contact the Judiciary Committee Members RIGHT AWAY and ask them to stop trying to overturn the will of the voters. Judiciary Committee members are:

Mike Feuer (D-AD42), Chairman
Phone: (916) 319-2042
Fax: (916) 319-2142

Van Tran (R-AD68), Vice-Chairman
Phone: (916) 319-2068
Fax: (916) 319-2168

Julia Brownley (D- AD41)
Phone: (916) 319-2041
Fax: (916) 319-2141

Noreen Evans (D- AD7)
Phone: (916) 319-2007
Fax: (916) 319-2107

Dave Jones (D- AD9)
Phone: (916) 319-2009
Fax: 916 319 2109

Steve Knight (R-AD36)
Phone: (916) 319-2036
Fax: (916) 319-2136

Paul Krekorian (D-AD43)
Phone: (916) 319-2043
Fax: (916) 319-2143

Ted Lieu (D-AD53)
Phone: (916) 319-2053
Fax: (916) 319-2153

Bill Monning (D-AD27)
Phone: (916) 319-2027
Fax: (916) 319-2127

Jim Nielsen (R-AD2)
Phone: (916) 319-2002
Fax: (916) 319-2102