SACRAMENTO (AP) — Opponents of a domestic partnership bill signed into law by Gov. Gray Davis can begin collecting signatures to stop it from taking effect, Secretary of State Kevin Shelley said.

If approved, the referendum would prevent the law’s implementation in 2005.

Proponents must submit 373,816 signatures by Dec. 21 to force a referendum on the legislation, which Davis signed Sept. 22 expanding the rights of gay couples in areas ranging from health coverage to property ownership and funeral arrangements.

Sen. Pete Knight (R-Palmdale) is pursuing the initiative and has also filed a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court to stop implementation of the measure that extends most marriage rights to domestic partners.

State election officials also gave clearance to proponents of two new initiatives to begin collecting petition signatures.

The first seeks to prohibit all state laws and policies “providing protected status, quota preference or other preferential treatment to homosexual, bisexual, transsexual or transvestite orientation, status, conduct or relationships.”

The second proposed constitutional amendment would limit the number of children in elementary and high school classes.

Proponents of both have until March 1 to collect 598,105 signatures to get the constitutional amendments on the ballot.