Some good news did come out of Albany yesterday:
"An agreement was reached to bring the marriage equality legislation for a vote before the end of the year and we will commit the full spectrum of our energies to making marriage equality a reality in the state of New York," said Austin Shafran, spokesman for the Senate Majority Conference.
"Flanked by four members of the State Senate Democratic majority
and the leader of New York's LGBT lobby, Governor David A. Paterson
announced an agreement by which the Senate leadership has, for the
first time, agreed to debate and vote on a marriage equality bill
before the end of 2009. 'This is the first time that the Senate
leadership has indicated that it will support a vote on marriage
equality,' the governor said. 'This is a stunning and very happy
development in this process. I will continue to place marriage equality
on any special sessions that I call on Monday and Tuesday because I
feel that the bill should be debated immediately. However, I have
profound respect for the leadership of the Senate and the process that
they took to bring us to this vote.' Paterson was joined by the
Senate's deputy majority leader, Jeffrey Klein, who represents portions
of the Bronx and Weschester, Brooklyn Senator Eric Adams, Manhattan
Senator Eric Schneiderman, and Thomas K. Duane, the out gay Chelsea
senator who is the lead sponsor of the marriage equality bill. Alan Van
Capelle, the executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, was
also on hand."
Previously…
New York Marriage Equality: The Latest [tr]
Update from Albany on the New York Marriage Equality Vote [tr]