Massachusetts has company.

The California Supreme Court struck down the Golden State’s ban on same sex marriage Thursday in a broadly-worded, landmark ruling that invalidates virtually all laws that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

The 4-3 ruling declared that the state Constitution protects a fundamental “right to marry” that extends equally to same-sex couples.

The majority opinion, by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, declared that any law that discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation will be treated the same way as laws that discriminate by race or gender.

The decision was a surprise from the moderately conservative, Republican court that legal scholars have long dubbed “cautious.”

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger “respects” and says he will not attempt to overturn the state supreme judicial court’s ruling.

It’s not over, however - the scope of the court’s decision could be thrown into question by an initiative heading toward the November ballot.

That initiative would amend the California state Constitution to prohibit same-sex unions.

Not surprisingly, the campaign over that November ballot measure began almost immediately following the court’s controversial decision.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who previously vetoed two bills in favor of gay marriage, issued a statement saying he “respects” the decision and “will not support an amendment to the constitution that would overturn” it.

The state’s Catholic bishops and other opponents of same-sex marriage, by contrast, promptly denounced the court’s ruling.

Continue reading in the Los Angeles Times …