Limits on marriage, end to partners law defeated
Kevin Yamamura, Sacramento Bee
May 11, 2005

Identical proposals to ban gay marriage and eliminate domestic partnerships in California were defeated Tuesday in the state Senate and Assembly judiciary committees.

Conservative groups backed Senate Constitutional Amendment 1 and Assembly Constitutional Amendment 3 in an attempt to bolster Proposition 22, a 2000 voter-approved initiative that said California recognizes marriage only between a man and a woman.

SCA 1 and ACA 3 would have created another ballot measure to limit certain benefits to marriage between a man and a woman, essentially revoking recent state laws that established rights for domestic partnerships.

Supporters argued that a new measure is necessary because courts are examining the gay-marriage issue and lawmakers are pursuing more benefits for same-sex couples. But opponents said it would hurt domestic partners throughout the state, taking away rights pertaining to financial support and medical decisions, among others.

After the proposals were defeated, the Campaign for Children and Families announced that it would seek signatures to put the matter on the June 2006 ballot via initiative.