Though California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the star speakers at the Republican National Convention, a look at the bills he has signed of late reveals a chief executive much more in line with the party of John Kerry.
 Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, R-Calif. |
Schwarzenegger, who holds a 61 percent approval rating in the Golden State, was known to be on the left socially, but those views have come to the surface recently as he signed several bills passed by the Democrat-dominated Legislature – and not all Republicans are thrilled with the development.
“Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger must not be too troubled by what he’s called ‘girlie men’ because he’s just signed a bill into law that maintains ‘sex’ in California to include drag queens, cross-dressers and transsexuals,” the Rev. Lou Sheldon of the Traditional Values Coalition said in a statement. “Schwarzenegger has sided with the homosexual and drag queen lobby in muddying the biological realities of male and female.”
Other eye-raising action taken by the popular governor include signing bills this month that:
- require health insurance companies to “provide registered domestic partner coverage equal to that provided to spouses”;
- allow heroin abusers to buy drug needles without a prescription and decriminalizes previously unlawful needle possession;
- toughen auto-emission rules;
- reduce cruise ship pollution; and
- ban the sale of .50-calibre BMG rifles.
He also has paroled a record 48 murderers serving life sentences, the Associated Press reports.
Some analysts believe Schwarzenegger can afford to be cavalier due to his positive ratings.
“The governor enjoys very high popularity and can take some risks,” Mark Baldassare, polling director for the Public Policy Institute of California, told AP.
“But he is also a Republican governor who recognizes that most California voters are Democrats and independents, and to continue to receive high approval from public, he needs to reach out beyond the conservative roots of his party.”
The governor has not pleased Democrats on all issues, vetoing a bill to offer driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and one that would have raised the state’s minimum wage.
“Schwarzenegger has given a raw deal to the people who elected him – the millions of Californians who desire sane government and want good role models for children,” Randy Thomasson, executive director of Campaign for California Families, said in a statement. “Amidst his high poll numbers, Arnold has apparently become unafraid to push his liberal agenda regarding marriage, free speech, drug legalization, social engineering, and releasing convicted killers into our neighborhoods.”
Thmasson continued: “We call upon Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto the several remaining anti-family bills on his desk. The people should flood him with phone calls and not trust that he’ll do the right thing.”
One of those bills, AB 1520, would creates a state-endorsed transsexual veterans memorial.
