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发帖数: 19713 | 1 New York Assembly Passes Marriage Equality Bill
By Julie Bolcer
DANNY O'DONNELL X390 (SOURCED) | ADVOCATE.COM
The New York state assembly passed the marriage equality bill for the fourth
, and perhaps the final, time on Wednesday. The measure now awaits
consideration by the senate.
Lawmakers in the Democratic-controlled chamber passed the bill by a
bipartisan vote of 80 to 63 after four hours of impassioned but largely
civil debate. In wide-ranging remarks, with a heavy emphasis on religion,
speakers discussed the historical evolution of marriage and offered personal
stories to support their arguments for and against the legislation carried
by their openly gay colleague from Manhattan, Daniel O’Donnell, with a
record 68 sponsors.
"This is an immense step toward achieving true equality for all here in New
York,” said O’Donnell in a statement after the vote. “I am very proud
that under Speaker Silver’s strong leadership and with his unwavering
support, we in the Assembly have powerfully voiced our deep-seated belief in
equality and rejected legalized discrimination yet again. Since we first
passed marriage equality four years ago, the need for this law has only
grown, with same-sex couples in New York facing daily discrimination from
our state. This must end.”
O’Donnell said last week that he expected the bill would pass with a
slimmer margin of approval than in 2009, when it passed by a vote of 89 to
52. Democrats lost 10 seats in the last election and a handful of seats
remain vacant in the assembly.
Passage of the bill creates momentum, where the measure still awaits
approval in the senate. On Wednesday afternoon, the Republican senate
conference emerged from a four-hour, closed-door meeting with no decision
about whether to bring the bill to the floor for a vote before the session
ends on June 20. Senate majority leader Dean Skelos, whose party holds a 32-
30 edge, said he and his members would continue their private deliberations
on Thursday. Currently, 29 Democrats and two Republicans have said they
would vote yes for the bill, which means that one more Republican is needed
to pass the measure in the senate.
"The vote by the state assembly has moved New York one step closer to making
marriage equality a reality," said Gov. Andrew Cuomo in a statement. "I
applaud these legislators' prompt and courageous support on this measure,
which will finally allow same-sex couples the freedom to marry and provide
them with hundreds of rights that others take for granted. I commend Speaker
Sheldon Silver for his leadership and Assemblyman Daniel O'Donnell for his
tireless work fighting for equality. We are on the verge of a pinnacle
moment for this state."
Assemblymembers voted Wednesday after speaker Sheldon Silver sent a “
message of necessity” to Cuomo to circumvent the normal three-day waiting
period required of a program bill. The governor submitted the Marriage
Equality Act to the legislature for consideration on Tuesday after
repeatedly indicating that he did not want to see a “one-house” bill or a
vote that would fail in the senate as it did in 2009.
Asked Wednesday whether holding the assembly vote indicated a belief that
the senate would ultimately take up the marriage equality bill this session,
Michael Wyland, a spokesman for Speaker Silver, said, “I would think so,
yes.”
The governor’s program bill submitted Tuesday includes language based on
the state’s existing law to exempt private religious institutions that do
not want to solemnize same-sex weddings or provide facilities such as
catering halls for the celebrations. At least one senate Republican, Greg
Ball, said Wednesday that he would like to see more substantial carveouts to
protect religious institutions.
Religion permeated the debate of the marriage equality bill on the assembly
floor on Wednesday. Some said their faith prevented them from supporting the
measure, while others said there should be no conflict about a civil
marriage bill.
In the most visually startling moment of the debate, the Brooklyn lawmaker
held a poster of Lady Gaga as he criticized the marriage equality campaign
for using celebrities to promote the issue. He said his religion prevented
him from supporting the bill.
"I wish it wasn't in the book," said Dov Hikind, holding a copy of the Torah
on the assembly floor. “The Torah's so clear on this subject," he said. "
There is no choice for me. And I am open-minded.”
Deborah Glick, an openly lesbian lawmaker from Manhattan, later said to the
audience in general, "You do not put your hand on the Constitution and swear
to uphold the Bible.”
Harry Bronson, an openly gay lawmaker from upstate New York, found no
conflict between his faith and the legislation, saying, "I would not try to
convince anybody to change their religious beliefs being a religious person
myself.”
Still others urged colleagues to think about changing attitudes and their
legacy as lawmakers.
Naomi Rivera, who represents the same South Bronx area as Ruben Diaz Sr.,
the only Democratic senator to oppose the bill, said she had received
thousands of messages against it, but she would yes for the sake of her 11-
year-old child.
"I've been given the responsibility to help pave the way for the future
generation for my son," she said.
During the campaign, advocates have repeatedly referred to polls that show
record majorities of New York voters now support marriage equality. At least
one surprise vote provided evidence of the point.
“Things change,” said Nick Perry of Brooklyn, who voted against the bill
three previous times, as he cast his first yes vote to applause in the
chamber. | D**S
发帖数: 24887 | 2 I am kinda worried about the Senate. |
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