BILL NUMBER: AJR 85	AMENDED
	BILL TEXT

	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 24, 2004
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY  JUNE 9, 2004

INTRODUCED BY   Assembly Members Leno, Goldberg, Kehoe, and Laird
   (Principal coauthor: Senator Kuehl)
   (Coauthors: Assembly Members Berg, Calderon, Canciamilla, Chan,
Chavez, Chu, Cohn, Corbett, Diaz, Dutra, Dymally, Firebaugh, Frommer,
Hancock, Jerome Horton, Jackson, Koretz, Levine, Lieber, Liu,
Longville, Lowenthal, Montanez, Mullin, Nakano, Nation, Nunez,
Oropeza, Pavley, Reyes, Ridley-Thomas, Simitian, Steinberg, Vargas,
Wiggins, Wolk,  and Yee)   Yee, Parra, Salinas,
and Wesson) 
   (Coauthors: Senators Figueroa, Karnette, Romero, Sher, and
Vasconcellos)

                        MAY 17, 2004

   Assembly Joint Resolution No. 85--Relative to same-sex couples.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   AJR 85, as amended, Leno.  Same-sex couples.
   This measure would respectfully oppose any federal enactment
designed to prohibit or restrict the provision of rights and
obligations under the law for same-sex couples and their families.
   Fiscal committee:  no.




   WHEREAS, All individuals and families are entitled to dignity,
liberty, and equal protection under the law; and
   WHEREAS, Like different-sex couples, same-sex couples in
California form committed relationships, share their lives together,
participate in their communities together, and raise children and
care for other dependent family members together; and
   WHEREAS, The most recent data from the United States Census Bureau
shows that same-sex couples and their families reside in all 58
counties in California and include more than 92,000 couples
statewide; and
   WHEREAS, Alleviating discrimination against these families
furthers the state's interest in supporting stable family
relationships, promoting personal and fiscal responsibility, and
encouraging parents, rather than the state, to provide financial
support for children; and
   WHEREAS, Historically, the states, rather than the federal
government, have assumed primary responsibility for establishing
family policy; and
   WHEREAS, A measure to amend the federal Constitution to mandate
discrimination against same-sex couples and their families, and to
prevent any branch of government from extending equal rights and
obligations to such couples and their families, has been introduced
in the United State Congress; and
   WHEREAS, Throughout American history, the United States
Constitution has been amended, starting with the Bill of Rights, to
protect the rights, freedoms, and liberties of the American people;
and
   WHEREAS, This proposed measure would represent the first use of
the constitutional amendment process in our nation's history to
single out a group of Americans for discrimination; now, therefore,
be it
   Resolved by the Assembly and Senate of the State of California,
jointly, That the Legislature of the State of California respectfully
opposes any federal enactment designed to prohibit or restrict  the
provision of rights and obligations under the law for same-sex
couples and their families; and be it further
   Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of
this resolution to the President of the United States, to each
Senator and Representative in the Congress of the United States, and
to the presiding officer of each house of each state legislature  in
the United States.