Prop 8

GAY MARRIAGES RESUME IN CA; OPPONENTS FILE LAST-DITCH APPEAL

 

By Miriam Raftery

June 29, 2013 (San Diego’s East County) – Following in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision dismissing the Proposition 8 case, the Ninth District Court of Appeal yesterday lifted its stay on same-sex marriages.  For the first time in five years, gay couples can now legally wed once again in California.

Attorney General Kamala Harris performed the first such marriage after the ban was lifted, uniting the two plaintiffs in the lawsuit brought against Prop 8, Kristin Perry and her fiancée, Sandy Stier.  The wedding took place at San Francisco’s City Hall.


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SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN DENIAL OF FEDERAL BENEFITS UNDER DOMA, DISMISSES PROP 8 CASE

 

 

Governor Brown orders county clerks to begin same-sex marriages as soon as 9th Circuit Court lifts stay

By Miriam Raftery

June 26, 2013 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme court, in closely divided 5-4 rulings, handed down decisions today in two landmark same –sex marriage cases. The rulings are being hailed as victories for supporters of same-sex marriage, while opponents vow to continue the battle at the state level. In California, however, the high court's dismissal of the Proposition 8 case opens the door for weddings between same-sex couples to resume soon.

For Dayna Dunbar of Spring Valley, the news sparked an emotional chord.  She and her partner, Brenda, have been together since 2001 and have an adopted son, Jesse (photo, left). 

“We were just holding each other, in tears,” she told ECM today.  When their son heard news of the court decision, Dunbar added, “He was so excited, he hugged us about three times each.”


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POLITICAL REFLECTIONS COLUMN: HIGH COURT ON RIGHTS: 1 WIN, 1 LOSS, 2 DRAWS

 

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

Columnist's elation over marriage equality rulings is tempered by dismay over high court's ruling on Voting Rights Act

June 26, 2013 (San Diego)--The sun is shining this Wednesday, June 26 and it’s a beautiful, if rather hot, day in San Diego. I sent my husband Charles off to work this morning after we both got up early to watch MS-NBC broadcast news of the United States Supreme Court’s rulings on two cases involving the rights of same-sex couples to marry each other. It was a personal story to us because Charles and I are legally married.


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POLITICAL REFLECTIONS COLUMN: MARRYING YOUR GAY FIRST COUSIN?

By Mark Gabrish Conlan

April 7, 2013 (San Diego)--On March 26 and 27, the U.S. Supreme Court heard two major cases over whether same-sex couples have a constitutional right to marry.

On March 26 they heard arguments on whether Proposition 8, which California voters passed in November 2008 to short-circuit the ruling of the California Supreme Court that the state’s constitution did not allow it to deny marriage to same-sex couples, is unconstitutional under the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The next day they heard the case of Edith Windsor, who legally married her long-term partner, Thea Spyer, in Canada in 2007, then got socked with a federal estate tax bill of $367,000 because the federal government didn’t recognize her marriage under the so-called “Defense of Marriage Act” (DoMA) passed by Congress in 1996.

The two cases rest on somewhat different legal issues, and it’s quite possible the court could throw out Proposition 8 and uphold DoMA — or vice versa — but the underlying issues are the same.


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U.S. SUPREME COURT TO HEAR 2 SAME-SEX MARRIAGE CASES, INCLUDING PROP 8 APPEAL FILED BY EX-SAN DIEGO SENATOR HOLLINGSWORTH

San Diego’s County Clerk “ready to respond immediately”; marriages could resume soon if court finds Prop 8 challengers lack legal standing to appeal

By Miriam Raftery

December 7, 2012 (Washington D.C.) – The U.S. Supreme Court today announced that it will review  two cases involving same-sex marriage, including an appeal by petitioners seeking to overturn Proposition 8 including former San Diego State Senator Dennis Hollingsworth. 

California voters initially voted to legalize same-sex marriage, but later passed Proposition 8 which banned same-sex marriages. California’s Attorney General refused to appeal Prop 8 to the Supreme Court after the 9th circuit court of appeal found it unconstitutional. Thus other petitioners appealed including Hollingsworth, leader of the group Protect Marriage, asking the high court to strike down the 9th court ruling.


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ECM WORLD WATCH: GLOBAL AND NATIONAL NEWS

December 5, 2012 -- (San Diego’s East County) – ECM World Watch helps you be an informed citizen about important issues globally and nationally. As part of our commitment to reflect all voices and views, we include links to a wide variety of news sources representing a broad spectrum of political, religious, and social views. Top world and U.S. headlines include:

U.S.

WORLD

HEALTH & SCIENCE

Read more for excerpts and links to full stories.


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EAST COUNTY ROUNDUP: TOP LOCAL AND STATE NEWS

 

February 23, 2012 --  (San Diego’s East County)--East County Roundup highlights top stories of interest to East County and San Diego’s inland regions, published in other media.  This week’s top “Roundup” headlines include:  
 
 
 
  
LOCAL
  • Community meeting discussing Quail Brush Power Plant Feb. 28 (Santee Patch)
  • Grossmont expands school enrollment choices for some (San Diego Union-Tribune)
  • San Diego Gas & Electric wants you to pay for its negligence (San Diego Reader)
  • Nature reclaims local cold war relic (San Diego Union-Tribune)
  • Hunter introduces bill to name Ramona Post Office after Mac McWilliams (Ramona Patch)
  • Helix claims Hills League title with tiebreaking victory over Grossmont (La Mesa Patch)
  • Veterans recover from war wounds on the farm (MSNBC)
  • SDPD Oversight Board Faces Favoritism Accusations
     
STATE
  • Prop 8 backers seek review of gay marriage case (Sacramento Bee)
  • Jerry Brown:  California to reopen trade offices in China (Sacramento Bee)
 
Scroll down for excerpts and links to full stories. 

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MARRIAGE EQUALITY DEMONSTRATORS URGE CITY TO DROP CHARGES AGAINST ‘EQUALITY 9'


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CA SUPREME COURT TO INTERVENE IN PROP 8 CASE

February 18, 2011 (Sacramento) -- Do opponents of gay marriage have legal standing to challenge a decision overturning Proposition 8 in federal court after the state’s two top officers opted not to defend the measure? California’s Supreme Court has announced it will take up that legal question.


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WEDDING BELLS SILENCED: JUDGE BLOCKS SAME-SEX MARRIAGES UNTIL DECEMBER

 

East County News Service

August 17, 2010 (San Diego’s East County) – A three-judge panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday announced an indefinite stay on same-sex marriages. The 9th Circuit also expedited scheduling to hear the appeal of Judge Walker’s decision to overturn Prop 8.

 


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JUDGE RULES SAME-SEX MARRIAGES MAY BEGIN WEDNESDAY UNLESS HIGHER COURT INTERVENES

 East County News Service

August 13, 2010 (San Diego) – U.S. District Judge Vaughn R. Walker lifted a stay on gay marriages yesterday, after overturning Proposition 8 as unconstitutional last week. The judge declined to implement his order immediately, however, giving opponents time to appeal to a higher court. If the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals does not intervene, same-sex marriages may occur starting Wednesday.
 

San Diego’s Assessor/Recorder/Clerk’s office is accepting reservations for ceremonies to be performing as early as Wednesday, provided the ruling holds.


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FEDERAL JUDGE OVERTURNS PROP 8

 

Judge to hear arguments today on whether to issue a stay extending ban on gay marriages pending appeal; weddings could resume as early as tomorrow


East County News Network

August 4, 2010 (San Diego) – Over a thousand people celebrated in the streets of San Diego today after a federal judge declared Proposition 8, the initiative banning gay marriage, to be unconstitutional.  Same-sex marriages could resume as early as tomorrow--or not at all, depending on a judge's ruling on a request for a stay to extend the ban pending appeal.

 

"Yesterday when the ruiling came out, our phones starting ringing off the hook," San Diego County Assessor/Recorder/Clerk Dave Butler told East County Magazine.  Then word got out that the judge had issued a temporary stay until he hears arguments today and issues a decision on the stay.  "The phones have been quiet today," Butler said. 


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