text: California Senate votes to allow gay marriages
  
  September  2, 2005 
  
  The California State Senate voted on Thursday to allow homosexuals to marry, therefore becoming the first legislative body in the United States to embrace the controversial issue. 
  The Senate approved the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act, which would define marriage as a civil contract between two people rather than a man and a woman. The vote passed by the minimum number of necessary votes, 21-15. All Republicans in the Senate opposed the bill, as did one Democrat, Sen. Dean Florez of Shafter. Three Democrats abstained. 
  The bill's chief sponsor, Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) said, "We're looking for three votes, and I can't tell you today who the three will be, but I think the power of the success coming from the floor of the Senate today will give us the necessary momentum and encouragement to do what we all know is the right thing to do."
tokens: California Senate votes to allow gay marriages September 2 , 2005 The California State Senate voted on Thursday to allow homosexuals to marry , therefore becoming the first legislative body in the United States to embrace the controversial issue . The Senate approved the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act , which would define marriage as a civil contract between two people rather than a man and a woman . The vote passed by the minimum number of necessary votes , 21 - 15 . All Republicans in the Senate opposed the bill , as did one Democrat , Sen. Dean Florez of Shafter . Three Democrats abstained . The bill 's chief sponsor , Assemblyman Mark Leno ( D - San Francisco ) said , " We 're looking for three votes , and I ca n't tell you today who the three will be , but I think the power of the success coming from the floor of the Senate today will give us the necessary momentum and encouragement to do what we all know is the right thing to do . "
nps.text: gay marriages
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nps.text: September
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nps.text: The California State Senate
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nps.text: Thursday
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nps.text: homosexuals
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nps.text: the first legislative body
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nps.text: the United States
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nps.text: the controversial issue
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nps.text: The Senate
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nps.text: the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act
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nps.text: marriage
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nps.text: a civil contract
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nps.text: two people
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nps.text: a man
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nps.text: a woman
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nps.text: The vote
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nps.text: the minimum number
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nps.text: necessary votes
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nps.text: All Republicans
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nps.text: the Senate
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nps.text: the bill
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nps.text: one Democrat
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nps.text: Shafter
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nps.text: Three Democrats
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nps.text: The bill's chief sponsor
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nps.text: Assemblyman Mark Leno
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nps.text: D
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nps.text: San Francisco
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nps.text: We
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nps.text: three votes
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nps.text: I
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nps.text: you
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nps.text: I
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nps.text: the power
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nps.text: the success
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nps.text: the floor
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nps.text: the Senate
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nps.text: us
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nps.text: the necessary momentum
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nps.text: encouragement
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nps.text: what
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nps.text: we
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nps.text: the right thing
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nps.text: California
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nps.text: California
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