Effort intensifies for same-sex marriage ban in California

[Auggie]

SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, April 25 2008:

The battle over same-sex marriage in California heated up Thursday, when supporters of an initiative to ban it in the state's Constitution submitted more than 1.1 million signatures in an effort to qualify the measure for the November ballot.

Representatives of a conservative coalition called Protect Marriage delivered boxes of signed petitions in each of the state's 58 counties. Opponents immediately pledged to wage what is expected to be a costly campaign to defeat the measure if it goes to voters.

In the next several weeks, county and state officials will make sure the signatures are valid. To qualify for the ballot, the measure needs at least 694,354 signatures, or 8 percent of the votes cast in the last governor's race. A spokeswoman for Secretary of State Debra Bowen said the verification process could last until the middle of June.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said two weeks ago that he would fight such an initiative, and the state Supreme Court is weighing whether to overturn or leave intact Proposition 22, an initiative approved by California voters in 2000 that barred recognition of same-sex marriage in the state. Justices are expected to rule in June.

link: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/25/MNIF10BFT8.DTL

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Whereas Proposition 22 reaffirms marriage as between a man and a woman, the Protect Marriage initiative would amend the California Constitution to recognize marriage only as between a man and a woman.

[bemildred]

1. Should be a good "get out the vote" measure. nt