Sacramento, Calif.
— In a sign of growing opposition to a bill that would ban same sex marriage in California, at least one legislator in the state legislature is planning to vote no on a measure to ban it.
A state Senate panel has voted down a bill to ban gay marriage in the Golden State, which would have required lawmakers to either accept or reject the proposal.
Assembly Bill 1391 would have prohibited local governments from enacting ordinances barring marriage between two men and women.
The bill was sponsored by Assemblywoman Kate Hagan (D-San Francisco), who represents the district where the Sacramento Arena is located.
“I don’t believe that marriage should be a matter of discrimination,” Hagan told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from her home in California’s Central Valley, where she lives.
“We’ve got an incredible opportunity to expand the protections of the civil rights act and our religious liberty, and I think we should do that.”
“I just think we have to recognize that same-gender marriage is something that’s been on the table for a long time,” she added.
In the wake of last week’s Supreme Court ruling in favor of marriage equality, state leaders have tried to find common ground in their fight against same-gendered marriage.
The proposal from the state Senate would have repealed the ban on gay marriage, but that bill was rejected by the Assembly.
In recent days, state lawmakers have tried, unsuccessfully, to persuade California Gov.
Gavin Newsom to back a bill passed by the Senate that would have allowed cities and counties to ban civil unions between people of the same sex.
The legislation would have had to be approved by voters.
Newsom did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
In Sacramento, lawmakers are considering whether to pass another bill to allow same- sex couples to adopt children.
Assemblyman Bob Huffman (D) is expected to introduce an amendment that would allow people to adopt a child of a same- gender couple and also allow them to receive benefits for adoption.
The proposal, which is unlikely to be heard by the full Assembly, is a response to an amendment from a Democratic Assemblywoman, Gloria Negrete McLeod, that would prohibit lawmakers from considering any amendment that prevents same- sexual couples from adopting children.
Huffman’s proposal would allow the adoption of children of same- and opposite-sex couples, and would also allow unmarried parents of children to adopt if both parents are in a committed relationship with the child.
“There are a lot of good people out there, and this amendment is a way to keep the dialogue going,” Huffman said.
The Assembly is expected on Thursday to vote on Huffman’s amendment and another from a Democrat, Assemblyman Steve Glazer (D), that would also ban the adoption ban.
A spokeswoman for Newsom did NOT return a request for comment about the possible passage of Huffman and Glazer’s bills.
The Senate has not considered a bill sponsored by Rep. Mike Thompson (D).
Thompson introduced the first same- marriage bill in 2013, but it was not approved by the House.
Thompson, who has previously criticized the Supreme Court’s ruling, said the ruling has made it “very clear” that the United States cannot have a “perpetuation of discrimination.”
“The Supreme Court has made the point that if there is a right to marry, it’s going to be the same right that exists in every other society, and it is going to have to be recognized,” he said.
“So, we don’t want to have a perpetuation or a perpetuation of discriminatory attitudes that are going to continue to be in the law.”
Rep. Mike McLaughlin (R-Los Angeles), a co-sponsor of the bill, called the news of Huffmans amendment “very disappointing” and “unfortunate.”
“What we’re trying to do is to bring forward the legislation that allows same-marriage to continue, and to be effective,” he told The Sacramento Bee.
McLaughlin said he and his colleagues were also “hopeful that Gov.
Newsom will move forward” with a similar amendment.
McConnell, the state’s Democratic senator, also told reporters he was “satisfied that Gov.-elect Newsom is going forward with a bill” to legalize same- sexes marriage.
McGowan’s amendment would prohibit the state from enforcing civil unions or marriage licenses that were not valid in the jurisdiction where the marriage took place.
McGovern, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination, said he believes gay and lesbian couples should have the right to receive the same benefits and protections as heterosexual couples.
McGuirk, the Democratic Senate leader, said that while same- gendered marriage was legal in California before the Supreme court’s ruling last year, it was illegal in New York.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.