California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger filed a brief Friday urging US District Judge Vaughn Walker to allow same sex marriages to resume immediately. Walker, who issued the ruling that overturned California’s same sex marriage ban last week in Perry v. Schwarzenegger, has issued a stay of his ruling until the case is heard by the District Court. According to the Sacramento Bee, Governor Schwarzenegger’s request asks Walker to lift the stay of his decision. Schwarzenegger’s brief states that “staying the Court’s judgment pending appeal is not necessary to protect any government or public interest.” The brief continues and argues that “California has already issued 18,000 marriage licenses to same-sex couples without suffering any resulting harm. Government officials can resume issuing such licenses without administrative delay or difficulty.” Though the governor has vetoed legislation legalizing same sex marriage in 2005 and 2007, Schwarzenegger has been supportive of the ruling overturning Proposition 8. In an official statement released last Wednesday, the governor stated that the decision “affirms the full legal protections and safeguards I believe everyone deserves” and called the ruling a “milestone.” The proposition, which passed 52 percent to 48 percent in November 2008, overturned a May 2008 ruling of the state Supreme Court that resulted in, among other provisions, the legalization of same sex marriage in the state.
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