Former Mayor Bob Foster overseeing the marriage of Bob Crow and Tony Almeida at Harvey Milk Park in 2013. Photo by Brian Addison.
In a bill sponsored by the City of Long Beach and written by Assemblymember Bonnie Lowenthal, Governor Brown has officially enacted AB 1525 that permits city clerks across California—including our own—to perform marriages.
The streamlining of the marriage process comes after the overturn of Proposition 8 last year, when the Long Beach City Clerk Department had been officially deputized by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk to conduct civil marriages for a short period. This allowed 65 couples to quickly get hitched at City Hall—and now that process is a permanent one.
The law will go into effect at midnight on January 1 of 2015.
“This is a great day for Long Beach, love, and equality,” said Mayor Robert Garcia in a statement. “I am proud that City Clerks can begin offering civil marriages. I want to thank the State Legislature and Governor Brown for enacting this law.”
Appointments can be made with the Long Beach City Clerk’s Office by calling 562-570-6101.