Schwarzenegger calls for same-sex weddings

SAN FRANCISCO - Gay couples could again be allowed to tie the knot in California if Gov. Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown get their way.

Schwarzenegger and Brown, along with lawyers for gay couples, have filed legal motions telling a federal judge that allowing same-sex marriages to resume immediately is the right thing to do.

The motions come two days after U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker struck down California's voter-approved gay marriage ban as unconstitutional. Walker initially said gay marriages should begin immediately but later agreed to suspend weddings until he could consider additional legal arguments.

Even if he does clear the way for the marriages, lawyers for sponsors of Proposition 8 plan to ask the federal appeals court for an emergency order to prevent that from happening.

Opponents of same-sex marriage want Proposition 8 to stay in effect until their appeal of Walker's ruling is decided by higher courts.