Big Things Shakin' in Sacto - Just down the street from Ben at the Cali statehouse, the Judiciary Committee of the California State Assembly voted 8 to 3 today in favor of the Marriage License Non-Discrimination Act (AB 1967). While this is far from the end of the road to enactment, it may be the first time even a committee of any legislature has supported a "gay marriage" bill.

(Honestly, the bill only lets marriage licenses be issued. Despite Equality California's claim that such papers will "allow same-sex couples to access the benefits of marriage in California," I have questions about the actual impact under countless other spouse-specific laws in California.)

Technicalities aside, it's a great accomplishment that allows us to at least imagine a day when full-fledged marital rights are enacted not just by "activist" judges and local politicians but by the people's representatives directly. Then what'll the bigot brigade say?