11/09/2009
On Deck, New York Marriage Equality Bill's Fate in Albany Uncertain
The NYT's take on marriage equality's chances this week: unclear.
"Advocates on both sides of the issue lobbied senators over the weekend, but it was still unclear on Sunday whether the measure could attract the 32 votes needed in the State Senate for approval. (The Assembly has already passed the bill.)
Only three state legislatures nationwide have voted, without the intervention of the courts, to approve same- sex marriage.
In New York, Democrats hold a shaky 32-to-30 majority in the Senate, and some senators oppose allowing the legislation to come to the floor for a vote.
Those who favor the bill say they realize they are risking another significant defeat but are determined to get legislators on record on the issue. They also say that now may be the best time to push lawmakers to take up the bill, given that next year all 212 members of the Legislature will face re-election.
Estimates vary, but supporters of the bill believe they can count on about 25 votes for the legislation at this time."
Michelangelo Signorile makes an interesting point with regard to the recent NY-23 election: "I was actually wondering how the Dede Scozzafava debacle would play out and I did think in fact it would scare Republicans in the Senate on marriage for gays. The Republican Party in New York has known for some time that state Republicans will be dinosaurs soon, as all the surrounding states have marriage equality and the Northeast Republican is heading for extinction and needs to make changes. However, those with sites on national office, certainly saw what happened to Scozzafava and took notice. If the local party is, perhaps, ready for the change, the national party is light years away."
We spoke with David Paterson over the weekend on the issue. He'd like to know where everyone stands.
Posted 9:12 AM EST by Andy Towle in David Paterson, Gay Marriage, New York, News | Permalink
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I'd love to see it happen. However, Patterson is such a weak Governor that he doesn't command a lot of pull to bring in votes, and a lot of the law makers up there just don't want to be associated with any particular cause of his. And then, there's always referendum-time just like in California and Maine, where such gains can easily be swept away.
I'm doubtful he can pull it off.
Posted by: Yeek | Nov 9, 2009 9:30:08 AM
More defeat on the horizon! This is a fool's errand.
Posted by: Gregoire | Nov 9, 2009 9:48:35 AM
I reread Signorile's comment wondering what he means by "as all the surrounding states have marriage equality..." The three states to the east of New York (as well as the nation to its north) do have equality, but Pennsylvania and New Jersey still haven't stopped sex discrimination.
Maybe he means that in the near future when there is equality on all borders, the NY Republicans will feel like dinosaurs?
Posted by: GregV | Nov 9, 2009 10:12:39 AM
2 points: NY has no referendum process, so if it passes, it's done. There's no popular vote that can take it away. (There are other ways, but like IA, they're so slow and cumbersome they aren't practical.)
Also, I know it hurts to lose, but just getting it to the floor vote is a win. We will then know who stands with us and who against us. As it is, half of the Senators haven't spoken publicly. Because they want to tell us they are friends to our community, without actually having to deliver any laws that help.
Let them put their votes where their mouths are. If we lose, we'll know who to support and who to support in Dem
primary challengers.
Posted by: Clarknt67 | Nov 9, 2009 10:33:23 PM