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Loading ...Showdown looms over NY gay marriage
05.11.2009 11:44am EDT
(Albany, New York) The New York State Assembly is expected to pass a marriage equality bill this week, but one again the legislation will likely be bogged down in the Senate.
The bill was unveiled last month by New York Gov. David Paterson (D) and introduced in the Assembly by Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, a Manhattan Democrat.The bill would amend the domestic relations law allowing civil marriages between same-sex couples and is similar to one that passed the Assembly in 2007 and was stonewalled by the then-GOP controlled Senate.
Democrats now control the Senate, but State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith (D) has said he does not have the votes to pass marriage equality legislation and will not bring the bill to a vote.
Both Smith and Paterson have been outspoken supporters of marriage equality, but while Smith wants a “go slowly” approach, the governor has said a vote should be held this session.
The Assembly is scheduled to take up the bill on Tuesday and supporters believe it will get more than the 85 votes it got when it was first adopted two years ago.
In the Senate where Democrats have a razor thin majority, several Democratic senators refused to back the bill, including Sen. Ruben Diaz of the Bronx. Republicans are firmly opposed to the legislation.
In 2006, the New York Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court, ruled that same-sex couples do not have a constitutional right to marry. It said that the issue, however, could be taken up by the legislature.
Last May, while the legislature dithered over gay marriage, Paterson issued an executive order recognizing the marriages of all New York same-sex couples who were married in areas where they are legal.
Since then, a large number of New Yorkers have crossed the state line to marry. Same-sex marriage is legal in nearby states – Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and Maine – and in Canada. Marriage equality legislation has passed in New Hampshire, but it is not yet known if it will be signed into law.
In April, a poll was released showing that nearly three-quarters of voters in New York State support recognition of same-sex couples, but are divided on whether that should be marriage or civil unions.
The Quinnipiac University found that 41 percent support gay marriage, while 33 percent favored civil unions. Only 19 percent said same-sex couples should have no legal recognition in the state.
Don’t expect any surprises from NY State. We’re not Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire or Iowa and not that progressive thanks to the handful of democratic conservatives who are going to block it. We need to make a concentated effort to get rid of them in the primaries and replace them with progressives, if we don’t, forget about marriage equality for another five years or more.
Pathetic. Ideally, there would be a movement building right now, in NYC, to tie donations to the state Dems to passage of marriage equality. Ruben Diaz wants the support of the party organization, but then he wants to start waving his bible and using the law as an agent of discrimination? Isolate him. Make his presence in the Assembly come with a price to the state party–don’t think for a minute that the Mormons or the Baptists will ride to his rescue. The rest of these bigoted Dems? Out. Let them cross the aisle and join the GOP if they want. It’s time NY Dems stopped talking and started doing, otherwise it might be time to start targeted support of third-party candidates. Better a Republican who’s a sworn enemy than a Dem who’s a backstabbing traitor.
Have the vote already. If it passes – hooray! If it fails, we’ll know who voted against us so we can do something about it (lobby senators to vote for it next year or try to defeat them in primaries). Most importantly, it will get some Republicans on the record FOR marriage equality, which could A) create momentum for other Republicans to join them, and B) embarrass some Democratic lawmakers into doing the right thing.
I agree with Johannes. Please follow this advise stat.
Very good points Robert, NYC , we have get rid of them democratic conservatives in the primaries, we could of had marriage equality if not for them
Here we go again …. instead of Bruno burying it in a Senate Committee, we have Evangelical Rev Diaz and a few Demo-Dinos to contend with. Hopefully Paterson can negotiate a deal with them … they all want something. It is always about the bottom line. My partner and I were married in Massachusetts, and we are looking forward to being ‘legal’ here in NY where we pay a LOT of taxes …. we’ve been supporting the breeders for years by shelling out enough school tax to build a new HS …. and don’t get me started on all the millions we all shell out to support our tax exempt sworn enemies in the
wing-nut churches. It’s time that we stopped financing the people who hide behind religion to spread hate and malice.
Good comments here. It may or may not happen now , but it gives us the opportunity to expose the right wing , and embarass some of the good people in the middle about how they were had.
And, with the pols showing 75% or so of the people supporting gay relationship LEGAL recognition, it is going to happen sooner or later.
What needs to be done in NY is to have a Clergy Call (HRC has it) type of Organization lobbying the state senate. This will help both to neutralize the right wing Cath/ christians living with a dark age mentality, as well as build the popular support further.
One of really difficult things I’ve struggled to understand is how the religious wrong manages to gain total control of their people’s minds. Some of it is the terrorism of hell, and promise of a life after death – something that in the secular world would be a scam insurance policy.
And of course they always have to have someone to hate, to blame that group for its own troubles, in the old “blame the victim” trick, the first commandment in the good book dirty politics and relgious hatred.
And their so clever double speak and triple speak they use. So much of it from a book called “words that work” by Kurtz. BTW, he helped engineer the republican wins of the Bush era, but like any good republican money grubber, he’ll sell his weapons to any one. Go read it and you’ll see what happened and how to counteract it.
And as the religious right gets ever more ridiculous in the eyes of the populace, and the populace learns how they have been had AND GET OVER THEIR EMBARASSMENT ABOUT IT, things will change.
NY State Senate is still controlled by a few people who are ready and willing to force their bigotry on everybody else. I’m not holding my breath. We plan to marry in Connecticut!
IT LOOKS LIKE THESE DEMOCRATIC CENTRISTS ARE CAUSING HAVOC ON ALL LEVELS OF THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL SPECTRUM – TIME TO RUN VERY LEFT WING DEMOCRATS AND ELECT THEM, OR THIS WILL GO ON FOREVER.
Don’t expect marriage equality in NY anytime soon. Ruben Diaz and the other conservative DINOS are determined to block any legislation on same-sex marriage. Senate majority leader Malcom Smith knows what he is talking about when stating that there is just not enough votes.
Democrats hold a 32-30 majority in the senate and of the 32, there are 4 Democrats that are staunchly opposed to same -sex marriage with no known Republican support. And btw, NY state government is probably the worst in the nation as nothing ever gets done on time. Incompetence reigns in the NY state legislature. It would truly be a miracle if this bill passes. And until that happens gay NY’ers will have to continue crossing the border to get married.
Great comments here — solidarity is important now more than ever.
I live in very liberal northern California
I am biased in favour of same-sex everything, so when I want to distance myself to become more “objective” I take the opponent’s words and replace “gay” with “black.” Then I’ve a better understanding about what we are dealing with here, as ugly as it is…bigotry.
Yes, as moral and responsible people we must organise and become more involved. These bums rarely have a true constituency and were bought by lobbyists. They are imminently defeatable in the caucuses and primaries, and it is the right thing to do not only for us, but for everyone.
While some might agree with drewski that ahole state senator rev. rubin diaz (i don’t feel he deserves capitals) should be isolated, apparently some feel there should be a family dynasty, as his son was just appointed (I guess it was technically an election if you can seriously call it that as there was a token opposition candidate after the opposing democrat teams decided diaz jr. was their man) Bronx Borough President. While you can’t hold the son guilty for the sins of the father, as I haven’t heard him care to oppose his father, and their both on the same team, it doesn’t seem like any type of isolation by the Democratic Party, who should but don’t care to isolate, rebuff or dismiss the state senator. Would they do the same if it was another politician like david duke?
@Art James – if you and your partner are married, then you DO have the same rates as the hetero couples in NY! NY is one of the few states that recognize the US Constitution’s Full Faith and Credit Clause, so your marriage is fully recognized in the state as valid, just as it is in New Mexico.
@ Art James:
Sorry, correction – you have the same “rights”, not “rates”, as hetero couples in New York state.