$16B Deficit May Help Keep Gay Marriage Legal in Calif.

With a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that could dam the just-unleashed tide of same-sex marriage in the state, proponents believe California's $16 billion budget deficit could be the deciding factor for voters, Julie Bolcer writes in the Advocate. "I think this is a huge opportunity for businesses and the community as a whole," one chamber of commerce rep says.

One UCLA study estimates that $55 million of $683.6 million spent on same-sex marriages in California (including from out-of-state couples heading west to tie the knot) will go into various government coffers. “This is something voters care especially about when we are in an economic downturn," said the lawyer responsible for the recent victory in California's top court. (More gay marriage stories.)