California Assembly Judiciary Committee approves legislation to recognize out-of-state gay marriages before November 5, 2008

07/10/09 The Recorder (subscription required):

The legislation, SB 54, would confer state recognition of out-of-state gay marriages licensed before Prop. 8 became official; and it would ensure that such marriages licensed afterward have all the protections and benefits of marriage, except the designation of "marriage."

"This legislation, in my view, attempts in a limited way to clarify an issue that could result in exacerbating inequality," said Assembly Judiciary Chairman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles. It is "utterly consistent with the Supreme Court's ruling in Strauss ," he said.

However, Assemblyman Van Tran, R-Costa Rica, believes that the issue should return as a ballot measure.

The legislation is almost certain to reach Governor Arnold Schwarzenneger's desk. The Governor reportedly takes no positions on pending legislation.

07/09/09 The Bay Area Reporter:

Because they had already gotten married somewhere else [before November 5, 2008], those couples with out-of-state marriage licenses found themselves caught up in a Catch-22 situation. While their marriages were now valid under California law, there was no mechanism for them to register that fact like the 18,000 same-sex couples that received California marriage licenses last year.