Subscribe to Breaking NewsWithers: Albany pols promise gay marriage vote
Trying to decipher the machinations of deal making in Albany, New York is impossible. Add to that a political culture that is a wreck of mess, and it should come as no surprise the state is facing budget ruin. Despite all of this, it looks like gay marriage will get a hearing before the year is out. Yesterday Gov.David A. Paterson said the state’s Senate leadership promised a gay marriage vote.
“This is the first time that the Senate leadership has indicated that it will support a vote on marriage equality,” Paterson 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.”
Yesterday was the type of day that would tire the patience of any marriage advocate. For awhile it looked like the Senate was going to punt and to be honest, I really have no idea how marriage will fare in the Big Apple Empire State. Sure the Democrats have a slim majority, but when it comes to marriage equality I’ve decided to stop paying attention to polls and what people say they will do.
Last year during the race for president there was much talk about the infamous Bradley Effect. The theory that white voters are never honest when polled if they will vote for a black candidate, has been discredited but was part of the media narrative. Looks like it applies more to marriage rights.
I’m not confident it will pass. Right now there are only 25 supporting passage of the bill, we need 32….including some republicans. I don’t think that’s going to happen, but I hope I’m wrong. If it doesn’t pass, forget about it ever passing. Paterson will be replaced by Giuliani or Lazio in November 2010.
Robertocucina: Forget about it ever passing? Come on, a little bit of faith. Forever is an awfully long time, and if the subject of gay marriage passing anywhere in America had been brought up in the 50’s I’m sure people would have said it would “never pass”. We might not get it in the next governorship, but slow as the political tide is, we do have the momentum, even if it’s glacier in nature.
Obstruction of justice yet again by a few stubborn individuals. They will be ashamed of themselves in the future.
The capital of New York State is Albany, NOT “the Big Apple”…amazing how many people do not know this, or that New York is a state, not just a city.
Mcjacob888,
Thanks for catching that. For some reason I always think the nickname for New York City applies to the whole state.
James
Facebook User….I don’t trust politicians. Their getting re-elected, holding on to their power is more important than our rights. That’s why there will be NO republicans on board in particular. Tom Duane is delusional if he thinks the votes are there, they’re NOT. If they were, why were there only 25 instead of 32? Getting 7 more is going to be extremely difficult, even for the ones who aren’t decided. After seeing the defeat in Maine and California, they’ll think twice about their careers than our rights.
I have absolutely ZERO confidence in any of this. Either marriage equality will fail in the New York Senate or it will be voted down by the people of the state.
Don’t get me wrong. I LOVE New York and New Yorkers, but it is POINTLESS to have a vote on minority rights. In America (of all places), the minority loses EVERY time (cases in point: African Americans and Native Americans).
When going on a state-by-state basis with marriage equality, we first need to see if there is a mechanism in state law for citizens to simply vote to block implementation of marriage equality or revoke marriage equality. Then, tactics can be based on that.
Dr. Ian, there are more than 20 states that do not have iniatives or other forms of referenda to remove rights as is the case in NY and most of the east coast, except Florida, Rhode Island, Maine, Delaware and Maryland. So it would be hard to overturn legislation unless there are republican governors in blue states who will automatically veto any marriage equality bill, although Gov. Rell of Connecticut didn’t, a very rare exception.