The California Senate today passed the Civil Marriage Religious Freedom Act (SB 906) in a 23-11 vote. The bill protects clergy from performing any civil marriage that is contrary to the tenets of his or her faith and provides clear distinctions between civil and religious marriage in state law. Introduced by Senator Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) and co-sponsored by Equality California and California Council of Churches IMPACT, the legislation also includes in state law that clergy are able to choose which civil marriages they solemnize.