Domestic partnership in California

Same-sex marriage

Recognized in some regions

United States (MA, CA eff. On January 30, 2003, Belgium became the second country in the world to legally recognise Same-sex marriage, with some restrictions On July 20, 2005, Canada became the fourth country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage nationwide with the approval of the Civil Marriage Act. The Netherlands has allowed Same-sex marriage since 1 April 2001, the first nation in the world to do so Same-sex marriage became legal in South Africa on 30 November 2006 when the Civil Unions Bill was enacted after having been passed Same-sex marriage in Spain was legalized in 2005 In 2004 the nation's newly elected Socialist government led by President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero Same-sex marriage, also referred to as gay marriage, is a Marriage between two persons of the same sex Same-sex marriage in the US state of Massachusetts began on May 17, 2004, as a result of the Supreme Judicial Court Same-sex marriage in the United States - editing that article for size and clarity 2008-6-16 at 5:01 p. m. )

Foreign marriages recognized

Aruba
Israel
Netherlands Antilles
United States (NM, NY, RI)

Civil unions and
registered partnerships

Andorra
Czech Republic
Denmark
Finland
France
Germany
Hungary (eff. The recognition of Same-sex marriages became legal in Aruba after three Courts all ruled gay marriages must be recognized Same-sex marriage in Israel is currently unlikely since all marriages in Israel are performed under the auspices of the religious authority of the religion to which the couple belongs In April 2007, the Netherland's Supreme court, the Hoge Raad der Nederlanden, ruled in favor of two lesbians who sought to register their marriage in Same-sex marriage, also referred to as gay marriage, is a Marriage between two persons of the same sex Same-sex marriages are not performed in the state of New Mexico, which also does not provide Civil unions or Domestic partnerships New Mexico Same-sex marriage cannot legally be performed in New York. While one intermediate appellate court in New York has held that the state must recognize foreign same-sex Same-sex marriages cannot currently be performed under the laws of the state of Rhode Island. In March 2005, the Principality of Andorra first recognized the right of Same-sex couples to join in Civil unions. The Czech Republic grants unregistered Cohabitation status to "persons living in a common household" that gives couples inheritance and succession Civil unions in Finland were created for same-sex couples in the form of Registered partnerships in 2002 In France, a pacte civil de solidarité ( English: "civil pact of solidarity" commonly known as a PACS /paks/ (or 2009-1-1)
Iceland

Luxembourg
New Zealand
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
Uruguay

Recognized in some regions

Argentina (C, R, VCP)
Australia (TAS, SA, ACT, VIC eff. Registered partnerships for Gay and Lesbian couples were introduced in Iceland in 1996. Civil unions in Luxembourg for same-sex and opposite-sex couples were legalised through legislation in 2004 ("loi relative aux effets légaux de certains Slovenia currently recognizes same-sex Civil unions giving same-sex partners access to one another's pensions and property Registered partnership was granted in Sweden in 1995. Sweden was the third country to legally recognise same-sex unions after Denmark and Norway In a nationwide Referendum on June 5, 2005, the Swiss people approved by 58% a Registered partnership law granting On January 1, 2008, Uruguay became the first Latin American country to have a national Civil union law In Argentina, Marriage is allowed only between a man and woman Buenos Aires is the Capital and largest city of Argentina. It is geographically located on the southern shore of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern Río Negro is a province of Argentina, located at the northern edge of Patagonia. Villa Carlos Paz is a city in the center-north of the province of Córdoba, Argentina, in the south of the Punilla Valley, lying on the western Tasmania 's Relationships Act 2003 provided for registration and recognition of a type of Registered partnership in two distinct categories Significant Relationships South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country } The Australian Capital Territory (ACT is the Capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and its smallest self-governing internal territory 2008-12-1)
Brazil (RS)
Canada (QC)
Mexico (Coah., DF)
United States (CA, CT, DC, HI, ME, NH, NJ, OR, VT, WA)

Unregistered co-habitation

Australia
Austria
Brazil
Colombia

Croatia
Israel
Portugal

Recognition debated

Same-sex marriage debated,
recognition granted

Czech Republic
Denmark
France
Hungary
Iceland

New Zealand
Portugal
Sweden
United Kingdom

United States (CT, DC, HI, ME, NH, NJ, OR, VT, WA)

Specifics

California has expanded the scope or modified some of the processes in domestic partnerships in every legislative session since the legislature first created the registry. Consult the California Secretary of State for the most current information. The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U [1]

Scope

As of 2007, California affords domestic partnerships all of the same rights and responsibilities as marriages under state law (Cal. Fam. Code §297. 5). Fact sheet on California domestic partnerships Among these:

Making health care decisions for each other in certain circumstances
Hospital and jail visitation rights that were previously reserved for family members related by blood, adopiton or marriage to the sick, injured or incarcerated person.
Access to family health insurance plans (Cal. Ins. Code §10121. 7)
Spousal insurace policies (auto, life, homeowners etc. . ), this applies to all forms of insurance through the California Insurance Equality Act (Cal. The California Insurance Equality Act (AB 2208 is a state Law that requires California Insurance providers and managed care plans ( HMOs to provide Ins. Code §381. 5)
Sick care and similar family leave
Stepparent adoption procedures
Presumption that both members of the partnership are the parents of a child born into the partnership
Suing for wrongful death of a domestic partner
Rights involving wills, intestate succession, conservatorships and trusts
The same property tax provisions otherwise available only to married couples (Cal. R&T Code §62p)
Access to some survivor pension benefits
Supervision of the Superior Court of California over dissolution and nullity proceedings
The obligation to file state tax returns as a married couple (260k) commencing with the 2007 tax year (Cal R&T Code §18521d)
The right for either partner to take the other partner's surname after registration
Community property rights and responsibilities previously only available to married spouses
The right to request partner support (alimony) upon dissolution of the partnership (divorce)
The same parental rights and responsibilites granted to and imposed upon spouses in a marriage

Some privileges are not available at all, particularly any federally administered programs. The Superior Courts of California are the Superior courts in the U Due to the federal Defense of Marriage Act or DOMA, same-sex couples in marriages, civil unions, or domestic partnerships in the U. The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, is the short title of a Federal law of the United States passed on September 21 1996 as Public Law No The Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, is the short title of a Federal law of the United States passed on September 21 1996 as Public Law No S. do not have the 1,138 rights that a married heterosexual couple has under federal law. Heterosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the opposite sex or to a heterosexual orientation [2] Likewise, some processes, such as the solemnization of a marriage by clergy has no counterpart in the domestic partnership statutes.

Eligibility

Currently, a couple that wishes to register must meet the following requirements:

Both persons have a common residence.
Neither person is married to someone else or is a member of another domestic partnership with someone else that has not been terminated, dissolved, or adjudged a nullity.
The two persons are not related by blood in a way that would prevent them from being married to each other in California. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean.
Both persons are at least 18 years of age.
Either of the following:
- Both persons are members of the same sex.
- The partners are of the opposite sex, one or both of whom is above the age of 62, and one or both of whom meet specified eligibility requirements under the Social Security Act.
Both persons are capable of consenting to the domestic partnership.

Example of California domestic partnership certificate.

Also, a legal union of a same-sex couple, other than marriage, validly performed in another jurisdiction, that is substantially equivalent to a California domestic partnership, will be recognized as such in California. NOTICE TO WOULD-BE ROMEOS ************** California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Civil unions, such as those performed in Vermont, Connecticut, and New Jersey, would most likely qualify as domestic partnerships in California. A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to Marriage. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Oddly, however, a valid same-sex marriage performed in a jurisdiction that recognizes such unions, such as Massachusetts, would not be recognized in California as either a marriage or a domestic partnership. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts ( is a state located in the New England region of the northeastern United States. This is due to the fact that California statute prohibits recognition of another jurisdiction's validly performed same-sex marriage. For eight years California’s 2000 ballot initiative Proposition 22 (or Prop 22) prevented California from recognizing Same-sex marriages Voters

British law recognizes California domestic partnerships as equivalent to civil partnerships in the United Kingdom. See Civil partnerships in the United Kingdom for a detailed discussion of the Act and its implementation. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The attorney general of New Jersey has ruled that California domestic partnerships are equivalent to civil unions in that state and likewise that civil unions in New Jersey can qualify as domestic partnerships in California. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Switzerland recognizes California domestic partnerships as comparable to Civil unions in Switzerland, including granting residency rights based on the partnership. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation In a nationwide Referendum on June 5, 2005, the Swiss people approved by 58% a Registered partnership law granting

Registration

Domestic partner registration is an uncomplicated process, more simple and less costly than entering into a marriage. Both parties must sign a declaration listing their names and address. Both signatures must be notarized. The declaration must then be transmitted to the Secretary of State along with a $10 filing fee (plus an additional $23 fee for same sex couples must be collected pursuant to CA Family Codes §298, §298. 5 and §358, to help fund LGBT-specific domestic violence training and services). In this regard it is not like a marriage or civil union. Those unions require a ceremony, solemnized by either religious clergy or civil officials, to be deemed valid.

Dissolution

In most cases, a domestic partnership must be dissolved through filing a court action identical to an action for dissolution of marriage. In limited circumstances, however, a filing with the Secretary of State may suffice. This procedure is available when the domestic partnership has not been in force for more than five years. The couple must also meet many other requirements that the dissolution be both simple and uncontested: no children (or current pregnancy) within the relationship, no real estate (including certain leases), and little joint property or debt. The parties must also review materials prepared by the Secretary of State, execute an agreement dividing assets and liability, and waive claims to domestic partner support. Where all the requirements are met, the partnership will terminate six months after the filing, unless either party revokes consent.

Legislative history

The movement to create domestic partnerships in California began at the municipal level.

In 1982, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a measure to extend health insurance coverage to domestic partners of public employees, but did not provide for a registry available to the general public. The San Francisco Board of Supervisors is the legislature of the City and County of San Francisco, California. Mayor Dianne Feinstein vetoed the measure. Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein (ˈfаɪnˌstаɪn (born June 22, 1933) is the senior U ^[2] Eventually San Francisco enacted a similar measure, as did other communities, such as Berkeley, and some local agencies.

In 1984 the City of Berkeley was the first city to pass a domestic partner policy for city and school district employees. This followed a year of work by the Domestic Partner Task Force chaired by Leland Traiman. Working with the Task Force was Tom Brougham, a Berkeley city employee who coined the term "domestic partner" and created the concept. All other domestic partner policies are patterned after Berkeley's.

In 1985, West Hollywood became the first U. West Hollywood, a city in Los Angeles County California, was incorporated on November 29, 1984. S. city to enact a domestic partnership registry open to the citizenry. Eventually other cities, including San Francisco, Berkeley, and Santa Cruz, followed suit. ^[3]

Despite successes in a handful of localities, supporters of legal recognition same-sex couples could not overcome the limited geographical scope and relatively modest range of programs administered at the county and city level. In the 1990s, they turned their attention the state legislature.

Early attempts in the state legislature

Mirroring the experience of California’s local efforts, the state legislature did not initially succeed in providing health insurance coverage for domestic partners or creating a domestic partner registry for the general public.

Assembly Bill 627 of 1995: In 1995, Assemblymember Richard Katz introduced a bill to create a domestic partner registry, open to both same- and opposite-sex couples. It sought to provide limited rights in medical decision making, conservatorships and a few related matters. It died in committee. ^[4]
Murray-Katz Domestic Partnership Act of 1997: At the beginning of the 1997–1998 legislative session Assemblymember Kevin Murray introduced Assembly Bill 54. It was similar to Assembly Bill 627 of 1995. After successfully negotiating two Assembly committees, Murray did not bring the bill to a vote on the Assembly floor. ^[5]
Assembly Bill 1059 of 1997: In 1997, Assemblymember Carole Migden introduced a bill that would require health insurance companies to offer for sale policies that would cover domestic partners of the insured, but did not require employers to provide the coverage. Carole Migden (born August 14 1948) is an American politician from San Francisco California who currently represents the third district As later amended, it required employers who cover employees’ dependents to cover their domestic partners as well. The amended bill eventually gained approval of the legislature, but Governor Pete Wilson vetoed the measure. Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23 1933 is an American Politician from California. ^[6]
Domestic Partnership Act of 1999: Kevin Murray, now a state senator, introduced Senate Bill 75 in December 1998. It was largely identical to his Assembly Bill 54 of 1997 and ultimately passed both houses of the state legislature. Governor Gray Davis vetoed the bill in favor of Assembly Bill 26, which was narrower in scope. Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor ^[7]

Establishment and incremental expansion

Assembly Bill 26 of 1999

Simultaneously with the Domestic Partnership Act of 1999, Assemblymember Carole Migden introduced Assembly Bill 26 of 1999. Carole Migden (born August 14 1948) is an American politician from San Francisco California who currently represents the third district As originally drafted, it covered all adult couples, like its unsuccessful senate counterpart. Before bringing the bill to the Assembly floor, however, Migden narrowed its scope. Based on objections from Governor Gray Davis, who did not want a competing alternative to marriage for opposite-sex couples, Migden eliminated coverage for opposite-sex couples where either participant less than 62 years of age. Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor The bill passed, and Davis signed into law on September 22, 1999. It provided for a public registry, hospital visitation rights, and authorized health insurance coverage for domestic partners of public employees. ^[8] While modest in scope, Assembly Bill 26 marked the first time a state legislature created a domestic partnership statute without the intervention of the courts. (Hawaii’s legislature enacted a more expansive reciprocal beneficiaries scheme in 1997 in response to an unfavorable lower court ruling; Vermont enacted a sweeping civil union bill in 2000 at the direction of its state Supreme Court. )

Assembly Bill 25 of 2001

In the first successful expansion of the domestic partnership act, Assemblymembers Carole Migden and Robert Hertzberg, joined by state Senator Sheila Kuehl, introduced a bill that added 18 new rights to the domestic partnership scheme. Carole Migden (born August 14 1948) is an American politician from San Francisco California who currently represents the third district Robert Myles Hertzberg (born November 19 1954 in Los Angeles California is a lawyer businessman and community activist who served in the California Legislature from 1996-2002 Sheila James Kuehl (born February 9, 1941 in Tulsa Oklahoma) is an American Politician, and a former child actress. It also relaxed the requirements for opposite-sex couples, requiring only one of the participants to be over 62 years of age. The expanded rights included standing to sue (for emotional distress or wrongful death), stepparent adoption, a variety of conservatorship rights, the right to make health care decisions for an incapacitated partner, certain rights regarding distribution of a deceased partner’s estate, limited taxpayer rights, sick leave to care for partners, and unemployment and disability insurance benefits. Governor Gray Davis signed the bill into law on October 22, 2001. Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor ^[9]

Other bills in the 2001–2002 legislative session

During the 2001–2002 session, California enacted five more bills making minor changes:

Senate Bill 1049 (Speier) permitted San Mateo County to provide survivor benefits to domestic partners. Karen Lorraine Jacqueline Speier, known as Jackie Speier (born May 14, 1950) is the Democratic Representative for California's 12th congressional San Mateo County ( "san muh-TAY-o") ( Spanish for: St ^[10]
Assembly Bill 2216 (Keeley) provided for intestate succession. Fred Keeley (born May 9 1950) is a politician in California, U Intestacy is the condition of the estate of a person who dies owning property greater than the sum of his or her enforceable debts and funeral expenses without having made a ^[11]
Assembly Bill 2777 (Nation) authorized Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Marin counties to provide survivor benefits to domestic partners. Joe Nation (born July 18 1956, Richardson Texas) graduated from the University of Colorado with a B Los Angeles County is a county in California and is by far the most populous county in the United States. Santa Barbara County is a County located on the Pacific coast of the southern portion of the U March 11, 1889 | ^[12]
Senate Bill 1575 (Sher) exempts domestic partners from certain provisions voiding wills that they helped draft. ^[13]
Senate Bill 1661 (Kuehl) extends temporary disability benefits to workers to take time off to care for a family member. Sheila James Kuehl (born February 9, 1941 in Tulsa Oklahoma) is an American Politician, and a former child actress. ^[14]

Wholesale expansion

The introduction of The California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003 (or Assembly Bill 205 of 2003) marked a major shift in the legislature’s approach to domestic partnerships. Earlier efforts afforded domestic partners only certain enumerated rights, which the legislature expanded in piecemeal fashion. This bill, introduced by Assemblymembers Jackie Goldberg, Christine Kehoe, Paul Koretz, John Laird, and Mark Leno, created the presumption that domestic partners were to have all of the rights and responsibilities afforded spouses under state law. Jackie Goldberg is an American politician and teacher and a member of the Democratic Party. Christine T Kehoe (born October 3 1950) is an American politician from San Diego California. Paul Koretz (born April 3 1955 in Los Angeles California) is an American politician John Laird is a Politician from California, currently representing the 27th district in the California State Assembly as a Democrat. Mark Leno (born September 24 1951) is a United States politician representing California's 13th Assembly district, which consists of the The bill did carve out certain exceptions to this premise, principally involving the creation and dissolution of domestic partnerships and certain tax issues. It also, for the first time, recognized similar relationships, such as civil unions, created in other states. A civil union is a legally recognized union similar to Marriage. Because the legislation dramatically changed the circumstances of existing domestic partnerships, the legislature directed the Secretary of State to inform all previously registered domestic partnerships of the changes and delayed the effect of the law for an additional year, until January 1, 2005. The Secretary of State of California is the chief elections officer of that U Governor Gray Davis signed the bill into law on September 19, 2003. Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor ^[15]

Subsequent changes and clarifications

Since enacting The California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, the legislature has passed several bills aimed at clarifying how certain spousal provisions should be treated in the context of domestic partnerships and made some modest changes. The legislation signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger includes:

Assembly Bill 2208 of 2004 (Kehoe) clarifies that health and disability-insurance providers must treat domestic partners the same as married spouses. A governor is a governing official usually the executive (at least nominally to different degrees also politically and administratively of a non-sovereign level of government Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor Christine T Kehoe (born October 3 1950) is an American politician from San Diego California. ^[16]
Senate Bill 565 of 2005 (Migden) allows transfer of property between domestic partners without reassessment for tax purposes. Carole Migden (born August 14 1948) is an American politician from San Francisco California who currently represents the third district ^[17]
Senate Bill 973 of 2005 (Kuehl) specifies that domestic partners of state workers are entitled to retroactive pension benefits, even if the worker entered retirement before the enactment of Assembly Bill 205. Sheila James Kuehl (born February 9, 1941 in Tulsa Oklahoma) is an American Politician, and a former child actress. ^[18]
Senate Bill 1827 of 2006 (Migden) requires domestic partners to file state income-tax returns under the same status as married couples (jointly or married filing separately), effective in the 2007 tax year. California Senate Bill 1827 the "State Income Tax Equity Act" establishes the requirement that couples registered as California domestic partners file their state income taxes Carole Migden (born August 14 1948) is an American politician from San Francisco California who currently represents the third district ^[19]
Assembly Bill 2051 of 2006 (Cohn) creates programs and funding grants to reduce domestic violence in the LGBT community and increases the fee for registering a domestic partnership by $23 to fund these services. LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual The new fees are effective January 1, 2007. ^[20]
Assembly Bill 102 of 2007 (Ma) allows parties to a registered domestic partnership to legally change their name to include the last name of their partner. Fiona Ma ( (born 1966 is the California State Assembly Majority Whip and a San Francisco Politician, and a former member of the San Francisco ^[21]

Popular opinion

California public opinion has long supported legal protections for gay and lesbian couples. In early 1997, two and half years before any statewide recognition occurred, polls showed two-thirds of Californians supported the limited provisions in unsuccessful bills debated in the legislature at the time. There was also strong support (59 percent) for broader provisions (pension, health, leave and survivor benefits) that weren’t enacted until more than four years later. ^[22]

Polls consistently show a marked contrast between support for domestic partnerships and same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriage (also referred to as gay marriage) is a term for a legally or Socially recognized Marriage between two people of the same In 1997, roughly 38 percent of Californians supported same-sex marriage. More recent polls show an increase in support for same-sex marriage, but few polls suggest that there is any more support for same-sex marriage than a statistical tie with opponents. ^[23]

Challenges to domestic partnerships

Despite broad support, California’s domestic partnership program has engendered opposition.

Referendum

California law provides for referendums, petition drives that would place any legislative enactment on the ballot for review. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Following the passage of The California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, state senator William “Pete” Knight (author of the successful Proposition 22 initiative) and Assemblymember Ray Haynes sought put the new legislation to a popular vote. William J "Pete" Knight ( November 18 1929 - May 8 2004) was a U For eight years California’s 2000 ballot initiative Proposition 22 (or Prop 22) prevented California from recognizing Same-sex marriages Voters Raymond Neal Haynes Jr (born August 26 1954 in Merced California) is a Republican politician from the state of California. The referendum failed to qualify for the ballot. ^[24]

Litigation

Opponents of legal recognition for same-sex couples filed two lawsuits in the Superior Court of California. The Superior Courts of California are the Superior courts in the U In the first case, state senator William “Pete” Knight sued Governor Gray Davis (later substituting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger) on the grounds that A. William J "Pete" Knight ( November 18 1929 - May 8 2004) was a U Joseph Graham Davis Jr (born December 26 1942 better known as Gray Davis, is an American politician who served as California 's 37th Governor Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger ( German ˌaɐnɔlt aloʏs ˈʃvaɐtsənɛɡɐ born July 30 1947 is an Austrian American Bodybuilder, Actor B. 205 impermissibly amended Proposition 22, which Knight authored. For eight years California’s 2000 ballot initiative Proposition 22 (or Prop 22) prevented California from recognizing Same-sex marriages Voters Randy Thomasson (an opponent of gay rights and head of the Campaign for California Families) filed a similar lawsuit, which challenged both A. B. 205 and the earlier domestic-partner expansion in A. B. 25. Both lawsuits, consolidated into a single action, failed at the trial and appellate courts. In the wake of those decisions, opponents of legal recognition for LGBT families launched at least two recall efforts against Judge Loren McMaster, who presided over the trial-court hearings. The recall efforts also failed. ^[25]

Along similar legal lines, defendants in a wrongful-death action brought by the survivor of a domestic partnership mounted a defense based partly on the ground that the legislative enactments giving a domestic partner standing to sue for wrongful death ran afoul of Proposition 22 (among other defenses). That defense failed on appeal. ^[26]

Main article: California Proposition 22 (2000)

Proponents of same-sex marriage, including the City and County of San Francisco, have challenged the state’s opposite-sex marriage requirements on constitutional grounds. For eight years California’s 2000 ballot initiative Proposition 22 (or Prop 22) prevented California from recognizing Same-sex marriages Voters The City and County of San Francisco is the fourth most populous city In pursuing these claims, the plaintiffs argue that even the broad protections of California’s domestic partnership scheme constitute a “separate but unequal” discriminatory framework. The Supreme Court of California is reviewing these challenges. The Supreme Court of California is the State supreme court in California. ^[27]

Main article: Same-sex marriage in California

Constitutional amendments

Immediately following the passage of The California Domestic Partner Rights and Responsibilities Act of 2003, a petition drive began to amend the California Constitution to forbid any recognition—including domestic partnerships—of LBGT relationships. Same-sex marriage in the United States - editing that article for size and clarity The Constitution of the State of California is the document that establishes and describes the duties powers structure and function of the Government of the U LGBT (also GLBT) is an initialism referring collectively to Lesbian, Gay, bisexual, and Transgender / transsexual ^[28] The measure failed to qualify for the ballot.

For a month in early 2004, San Francisco issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Same-sex marriage in the United States - editing that article for size and clarity The Supreme Court of California halted that process and later declared the marriages void. The Supreme Court of California is the State supreme court in California. Regardless, four separate groups began petition drives to amend the California Constitution to prevent same-sex marriage and repeal domestic-partnership rights. ^[29] The renewed efforts peaked in 2005,^[30] but have continued since. These groups have filed a total of 20 petitions, but none of the proposed amendments have qualified for the ballot. ^[31] Despite having prepared more than two dozen petitions, none of the proposed amendments have qualified for the ballot.

In 2008, two of these groups moved^[32] to qualify ballot initiatives to amend the California Constitution on the November 2008 ballot. In Political science, the initiative (also known as popular or citizen's initiative) provides a means by which a Petition signed by a certain The Constitution of the State of California is the document that establishes and describes the duties powers structure and function of the Government of the U One, the Limit on Marriage Amendment, had apparently (as of May, 2008) obtained enough signatures. The amendment would override a Supreme Court ruling that struck down Proposition 22, the earlier law that had forbidden same sex marriages. ^[33]

References

^ “California Opinion Index: A Digest on How the California Public Views Gay and Lesbian Rights Issues. ” The Field Poll: San Francisco (March 2006).
^ Bishop, Katherine. “San Francisco Grants Recognition to Couples Who Aren’t Married. ” New York Times 31 May 1989.
^ Becker, Lewis. “Recognition of Domestic Partnerships by Governmental Entities and Private Employers. ” National Journal of Sexual Orientation Law. 1. 1 (1995): 91-92.
^ AB 627. Legislative Counsel of California. 1995–1996 Session.
^ AB 54. Legislative Counsel of California. 1997–1998 Session.
^ 1059. Legislative Counsel of California. 1997–1998 Session.
^ SB 75. Legislative Counsel of California. 1999–2000 Session.
^ AB 26. Legislative Counsel of California. 1999–2000 Session.
^ AB 25. Legislative Counsel of California. 2001–2002 Session.
^ SB 1049. Legislative Counsel of California. 2001–2002 Session.
^ AB 2216. Legislative Counsel of California. 2001–2002 Session.
^ AB 2777. Legislative Counsel of California. 2001–2002 Session.
^ SB 1575. Legislative Counsel of California. 2001–2002 Session.
^ SB 1661. Legislative Counsel of California. 2001–2002 Session.
^ AB 205. Legislative Counsel of California. 2003–2004 Session.
^ AB 2208. Legislative Counsel of California. 2003–2004 Session.
^ SB 565. Legislative Counsel of California. 2005–2006 Session.
^ SB 973. Legislative Counsel of California. 2005–2006 Session.
^ SB 1827. Legislative Counsel of California. 2005–2006 Session.
^ SB 2051. Legislative Counsel of California. 2005–2006 Session.
^ AB 102 Assembly Bill - CHAPTERED
^ DiCamillo, Mark and Mervin Field. “Statewide survey.” The Field Institute: San Francisco 1997.
^ Baldassare, Mark. “Californians & the Future.” Public Policy Institute of California: San Francisco. Sep. 2006.
^ “Initiative Update as of December 15, 2003.” California Secretary of State; also, “Referendum on California's Historic Domestic Partner Law Fails to Qualify for Ballot.” Equality California: San Francisco 22 Dec. 2003.
^ Gardner, Michael. “Gay marriage opponents aim to recall judge.” San Diego Union Tribune 31 Dec. 2004.
^ Armijo v. Miles (2005) 127 Cal.App.4th 1405.
^ In re Marriage Cases docket. Supreme Court of California.
^ “Initiative Update as of October 2, 2003.” California Secretary of State.
^ Position statement: VoteYesMarriage. com; Position statement: ProtectMarriage. com.
^ Buchanan, Wyatt. "The Battle Over Same Sex Marriage." San Francisco Chronicle 12 Aug 2005: B1.
^ Office of Attorney General. Initiative Measures, Inactive.
^ “Initiative Update as of February 19, 2008.” California Secretary of State.
^ Leff, Lisa. “Same-sex Marriage Amendment Sought. ” Associated Press 15 Feb 2008

External links

Domestic Partners Registry. Information from the California Secretary of State. Includes downloadable forms.
Name Changes. Information on how to change your name with the California Department of Motor Vehicles.
297-297.5 California Family Code. California Family Code on Domestic Partnerships.
Fact sheet on the rights and responsibilities of California domestic partners by Equality California and the National Center for Lesbian Rights
National Center for Lesbian Rights. Information about the legal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people and their families, including a legal information hotline.
California Franchise Tax Board Registered Domestic Partner Site
California Franchise Tax Board Publication 737 Tax Information for Registered Domestic Partners (260k)

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