New York Legislature Expected To Vote On Gay Marriage Bill

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Source: AHN

Albany, NY (AHN) - The New York Legislature holds a special session on Tuesday to tackle a $3.2 billion budget deficit. It is expected to vote on a same-sex marriage bill introduced by Gov. David Paterson last week.

The state Assembly had passed the measure in May by an 89-52 vote amid competing demonstrations by gay advocates and those who support traditional marriage, such as the Hispanic Clergy, state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr., a Democrat and Pentecostal minister, and the New York State Catholic Conference, which called the bill a "radical social experiment."

The proposal languished in the state Senate along with other measures such as the budget because of a Republican coup that caused a month-long standoff between parties.

Paterson last week called for an extraordinary session to finish work on the a deficit reduction plan he has proposed, which aims for $1.8 billion in cuts in education and health services. Also for consideration are other revenue measures left idle because of a June 8 coup by Senate Republicans, joined by Democratic state Sens. Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monserrate, that brought the balance of power at 31-31.

The governor has included his marriage equality bill in the session's agenda, saying the legislation is needed now more than ever because of the referendum in Maine last week that overturned the state's gay marriage law.

The Empire State Pride Agenda, which is leading the fight to pass the bill, had praised Paterson for re-introducing the bill and said, "We now expect that we will get the respectful debate and vote that we've been waiting for since June."

On Monday, the group called on the Senate to vote on the measure, "This should not be a partisan matter. It should be a vote of conscience that occurs as soon as possible. There are those who want to inject politics. There are those who want to delay... What we are talking about now is a matter of fundamental human rights."

But the National Organization of Marriage warned that it plans to build a $500,000 war chest to support primary challengers to Republican senators who vote for the bill, whether or not the measure passes.

"There is no Republican Senate district in New York where the majority of people support gay marriage. Maine has made that very clear," said NOM Executive Director Brian Brown.

Maine legalized same-sex marriages in May but a conservative coalition, Stand for Marriage Maine, successfully petitioned in August for a referendum on the law, which they said would harm the education of children, religious liberty and free speech.

The legislation was overturned by a vote of 53 percent to 47 percent in the referendum, called Question 1.

A similar move was undertaken by conservatives in California, where an initiative called Proposition 8 was passed during last year's election, overturning a state Supreme Court ruling issued only months earlier, which said gay couples had a constitutional right to be married.

With Maine having repealed its law, a total of five states now allow gay marriages, three of which adopted their statutes this year. The District of Columbia this year also began recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions.

Read more: http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7016952051