Senate sends gay marriage bill to Schwarzenegger

SACRAMENTO—The Senate is sending Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger a bill allowing same-sex marriages, a measure he's expected to veto.

The bill redefines marriage as a civil contract between two people, but would still let religious groups refuse to sanction the unions.

Longtime gay activist and state Sen. Sheila Kuehl (KUE-el) of Santa Monica carried the measure. She says gays haven't been treated equally, even though their love is the same as others'.

Schwarzenegger's spokesman, Aaron McLear, says the governor hasn't taken a specific position on this bill, but he'll follow the results of a 2000 ballot initiative, when voters supported limiting marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

Schwarzenegger vetoed a similar gay marriage bill in 2005.

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