Motion by Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky

December 21, 1999

MOTION BY SUPERVISOR ZEV YAROSLAVSKY

The "Limit on Marriage Initiative" (popularly known as the "Knight Initiative") will appear on the March, 2000 California State Ballot as Proposition 22. If passed, it will incorporate into California law the sentence, "Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in the State of California."

However, California law does not recognize marriage other than that between a man and a woman, making the "Knight Initiative" unnecessary.

California law, regulations and administrative practice grant many rights and benefits to families of varied composition without affecting the definition of marriage. Many units of government in California and many private California corporations have chosen to similarly grant many rights and benefits to families of varied composition.

The County Human Relations Commission has asked the Board of Supervisors to oppose the Knight Initiative which it feels will have a deleterious effect on human relations in the County. Numerous elected officials and government bodies have also taken positions against the "Knight Initiative" including Vice President Al Gore, the Los Angeles City Council, the San Francisco County Board of Supervisors, Sheriff Lee Baca, and U.S. Representative Tom Campbell.

The presence on the ballot of the "Knight Initiative" has proven to be extremely divisive and provocative of intolerance, discrimination and hostility.

This Board has for many years striven to recognize diversity, promote tolerance, and extinguish discrimination and hatred whenever possible.

I, THEREFORE, MOVE that the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors oppose the "Limit on Marriage Initiative" and encourage voters throughout California to reject this unnecessary and divisive measure.