FIRST GOP CONTROLLED
STATE LEGISLATURE PASSES
GAY MARRIAGE
UPDATE 4: Bill is passed. Cheers in the chamber, and parties break out, including in front of the Stonewall Inn.
UPDATE 3: Vote apparently coming soon. Sen. Grisanti says he’ll vote for, a change from earlier position. GetEQUAL tweets:
RT @danfotou Thank you NY Senator Mark Grisanti for evolving! @BarackObama #evolvealready
UPDATE 2: Amendment 36-26 (first reported incorrectly, that the bill had passed)
UPDATE: Senate is now dealing with related amendments to the main, marriage bill.
Via AmericaBlog : “7:54 PM: The compromise religious amendments to the marriage bill passed by a margin on 82 – 47. Now over to the Senate for real.”
The reporting and tweeting on this bill has been fast and furious for the last couple of days, with long periods in between of not knowing what was happening, or if the vote would even occur. Now the needed compromise religious amendments have made it out of the Assembly, and as Sudbay says, the Senate vote is “for real.” When, exactly, isn’t known, but if this passes, the passage of the bill would double the number of same-gender marriages already recognized in five other states, and in DC.
You can watch live here.
This seems obvious, but I’ll ask anyway – is the “religious exemption” meant to allow churches to refuse to marry gay couples on religious grounds?
I don’t pretend to know all the details, but I’m sure that is included. I do know from earlier comments from some of the senators that the language they eventually settled on is similar to what Connecticutt and New Hampshire.
From what I’ve read it’s about not getting sued for refusing to marry couples.
Congratulations, New York. Let’s hope you’re trendsetters…
Me, too, in hoping for the trendsetting
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and the District of Columbia. Next?
Way to go New York.
…and way to go New York Republicans, the first GOP controlled state legislature to pass gay marriage.
What a great moment to celebrate.
Drinks are on the house!
I’m definitely having a celebratory drink in this house …
Cuomo put it all on the line. at 75pct approval rating he twisited those armed, mobilized nyers to push the sneate into voting in gay marriage. cuomo did what dems do- push for equality. he did what patterson failed to do.i dont know how much longer it can be until all america has gay marriage- but ny is a big one.
Don’t forget Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
I just want to also say THANK YOU JOYCE.
Can’t tell you enough how much I appreciate your writing on the site. It’s just so important.
THANK YOU JOYCE and all the other activists that kept pushing.
Yes, Thanks, Joyce!
yes taylor- to the brave repubs who voted for this who may well lose their seats to the tea party, to kristen gillibrand who has pushed like hell in ny to get this done, getequal, bloomberg, bill clinton who came out for marriage and helped twist arms from what ive read. and of course progressivism itself
Many thanks to you Joyce! Taylor, thanks to you also, your top notch!