Credit:Flag courtesy of ITA’s Flags of All Countries used with permission.

(Angus Reid Global Scan) - Many adults in California support the way Arnold Schwarzenegger dealt with a proposal to legalize gay marriage in the state, according to a poll by SurveyUSA released by KABC-TV. 63 per cent of respondents believe the governor made the right decision in vetoing the bill.

In 2004, marriage certificates were issued to same-sex couples by local governments in the states of California, Oregon, New Mexico and New York. Last May, the state of Massachusetts allowed gay and lesbian partners to apply for marriage licenses, the first state-sanctioned homosexual weddings in the United States.

Civil unions—currently available in the U.S. states of Vermont and Connecticut—give same-sex partners the same legal rights of married couples such as inheritance, insurance and hospital visiting privileges. A California law grants domestic partners the same legal rights of married couples, with the exception of filing joint income tax returns.

On Sept. 6, the California Legislature voted 41-35 to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry. On Sept. 29, Schwarzenegger sent a letter to the California Legislature, which read, "I support current domestic partnership rights and will continue to vigorously defend and enforce these rights and as such will not support any rollback." Schwarzenegger also cited Proposition 22, a ballot initiative endorsed by California voters in 2000, which states, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California."

Californians appear willing to settle the issue through the ballot box. 68 per cent of respondents in the Golden State believe voters should have the final say on gay marriage in the state.

Polling Data

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill to legalize gay marriage in California. He says the issue should be decided by voters or the courts. Do you think he made the right decision? Or the wrong decision?

Who should have the final say on gay marriage in California? The state legislature? The governor? California voters? The court system? The federal government? Or someone else?

Archive Search

Over 19,500 Polls
Search the Angus Reid Global Monitor Polls & Research archive.