Local lawmakers react to governor's gay marriage stance

Groups fighting to amend the state constitution to define marriage as only between one man and one woman battled a ticking clock and comments from the governor that he does not support their cause as they continued gathering signatures over the weekend for a proposed ballot initiative.

"I think we need a constitutional amendment so that foreign born citizens can run for president, but not about gay marriage," Austrian-born Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger joked while speaking Friday at the Log Cabin Republicans' annual convention in San Diego.

Assemblyman Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine, who supports the initiative, said the governor's support will have a minimal impact on voter opinion. "On issues like this, people are going to vote their conscience," he said.

State Sen. Tom Harman, who represents an Orange County district that includes Irvine, calls the new initiative a "technical tuneup" of a similar ballot measure – Proposition 22 – passed by 61.4 percent of California voters in March 2000. In Orange County support was even higher, with 69.2 percent voting in favor of the measure.  Local lawmakers react to governor's gay marriage stance
OCRegister - Santa Ana,CA,USA