SACRAMENTO, CA—The California State Assembly once again took a historic step today toward recognizing and respecting the love and commitment of thousands of same sex couples by approving Assemblyman Mark Leno’s AB 43, which would allow gay and lesbian couples to marry in the state. The bill passed on a vote of 42 to 34.

“The momentum to afford all citizens their fundamental right to marry the person they love grows stronger with today’s pioneering vote,” said Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco).  “For the second time in our nation’s history, elected officials of the most populous state in America have embraced the basic human right of all people to marry and raise families as first class citizens under the law.”

Assembly Bill 43 is nearly identical to AB 849 of 2005, which was the first proactive marriage equality legislation in the history of the United States to pass both houses of a state legislature.  AB 43 would amend Section 300 of the Family Code to define marriage as a civil contract between two persons instead of a civil contract between a man and a woman.  The measure respects one’s religious choice by reaffirming that no religious institution would ever be required to solemnize marriages contrary to its fundamental beliefs.

The measure is sponsored by Equality California (EQCA), the statewide LGBT civil rights advocacy organization.  “The California Assembly has once again affirmed that every Californian deserves the opportunity to marry the person he or she loves,” said EQCA Executive Director Geoff Kors. “Today’s vote shows that support for ending the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage is growing. The people of California , through their elected representatives, are speaking on this issue and they are coming down on the side of fairness.”

Same-sex couples can register with the State of California as domestic partners, affording them hundreds of protections. However, same-sex couples in California and their families still are not eligible for more than a thousand federal protections offered to married couples, including family and medical leave, social security benefits, long-term care insurance and the ability to sponsor a partner for immigration benefits.

AB 43 is co-authored by 29 Assemblymembers and 14 Senators, including Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and Senator President Pro Tempore Don Perata. A broad coalition of over 250 civil rights organizations and leaders are in support of the measure, including the NAACP California State Conference, United Farm Workers, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Chinese for Affirmative Action, CA Teachers Association, CA Nurses Association, CA National Organization for Women, ACLU and CA Church Impact, among many others.