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Loading ...NY gov calls for session on gay marriage
11.05.2009 6:38pm EST
(Albany, NY) New York Gov. David Paterson is calling the Legislature back to Albany for a special session to cut the budget and possibly vote on legalizing same-sex marriage.
Paterson wants the Senate to give final legislative approval to same-sex marriage. But there’s no guarantee there are enough votes to carry the measure, which has already passed in the Assembly.While the Legislature must attend the extraordinary session called by Paterson for Tuesday, lawmakers don’t have to act on his agenda.
That agenda includes addressing a deficit of more than $3 billion with midyear cuts to school aid and health care, among other measures.
The Democrat also wants lawmakers to consider long-sought reform of public authorities, a so-called “shadow government” that’s been caught in several scandals.
Does it really matter what the legislatures vote? They are just going to turn it over to the people, who will repeal the law. Don’t give us the rights if you are going to take them away! That is worse than never having the right to marry.
There isn’t a referendum process like Washington or Maine in New York, so it would not be turned over for a public vote… So no..
Shit…this requires the New York Senate to show some sense of embarrassment for earlier conduct, and something resembling a serious take on the responsibility of holding office. Tell me what happens after it happens.
I don’t see the point in holding this vote. It’s just more ammunition for the anti-gay whack jobs when we lose this one. If we don’t have the votes to pass marriage equality, then don’t embarrass us by having it go down, especially after Maine.
I appreciate Governor Patterson for his support for out community, but what we need now are shrewd tactics–not a vote on something everyone involved knows will fail.
What’s important is the State of New York recognizes legal same sex marriages performed elsewhere. Instead of waiting on the New York legislature to approve it or New York voters to ban it in the constitution, simply go to Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire or (the best and safest option) Canada and get married. It will be perfectly legal in New York.
I would like to see an up or down vote, but after Maine and the way scozzafava went down in part because of her support for marriage in the assembly i don’t think it has very good chances…..
I almost wish that they wouldn’t hold this session. Sure, gay marriage is important but they’re going to murder the budget to my college too and that might lead to me getting fired… If anyone on here is going to write to urge their idiot congressman (all politicians are morons in my eyes these days) to support gay marriage, make sure to urge them to leave the SUNY budget alone as well! Some of us have to worry about more than gay marriage as well. I’d hate to be able to marry (which I don’t plan on ever doing) but not have a job or be able to pay for my last year of college in the meantime… and I’m sure I’m not the only one.
A NY vote on marriage equality at this time may have very bad unintended consequences. NJ is on the verge of having a marriage equality vote, and has a better chance of passing it than NY. If NY goes first and votes it down, then combined with the vote in Maine, this may scare away enough NJ legislators to cause a loss in NJ. If NJ goes before NY, then there is a better chance NJ will pass marriage equality, and as a side effect, put more pressure on the neighboring NY legislature to pass it also. Timing is everything. NY, please wait a few weeks!