g********d 发帖数: 4174 | 1 Posted on Advocate.com June 20, 2011 09:40:00 AM ET
Deadline for Marriage Equality in New York
By Julie Bolcer
Monday is the last scheduled day of the legislative session in New York,
where the marriage equality bill, which remains one vote short of passage,
awaits a vote in the senate.
The New York state legislative session is scheduled to end on Monday, giving
the senate one more day to hold a vote on the marriage equality bill that
remains one vote short of passage. Following a series of major breakthroughs
last week, 31 senators, including two Republicans from the majority party,
support the bill that would make New York the sixth and most populous state,
not including the District of Columbia, to allow same-sex couples to enter
into civil marriages.
Republican senators, who will decide whether to vote on the Marriage
Equality Act and must provide the decisive vote, expressed concerns late
last week about the strength of the religious exemptions in the measure.
Although neither senate majority leader Dean Skelos nor Gov. Andrew Cuomo
have publicly discussed the specifics, the additional exemptions being
negotiated are said to be narrow, and the governor has indicated that he
believes the matter can be reconciled in accordance with the law to meet his
priority of passing the bill this session.
In a telling sign, opponents of the bill including Archbishop Timothy Dolan
appear to be focused as much on the exemptions as stopping the marriage
equality bill. Lawyers for the Catholic Church have met with the governor
and the Republican conference, which is also negotiating with Cuomo.
However, the archbishop said in an interview with Albany Talk 1300 Radio on
Friday, "This is not to be interpreted as a caving in on our side because we
are still working to defeat this bill.”
No additional exemptions language had been announced as of Monday morning,
but insiders said it would likely be presented in a chapter amendment that
would need to pass separately from the bill. The chapter amendment would
also require approval from the Democratic-controlled assembly, which passed
the marriage equality bill for the fourth time last week. The bill failed in
the senate in 2009.
Public pressure continued to mount for the senate to pass the bill over the
weekend. Hundreds rallied in Union Square in Manhattan on Sunday while
clergy members and congregants statewide rallied after religious services.
Meanwhile, opponents of the marriage equality bill announced they would
present Republican state senators with 63,000 petitions against the bill in
the state capital on Monday. Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown of the
National Organization for Marriage are expected in Albany in the afternoon
with former New York Giants player David Tyree, who recorded a video against
the marriage equality bill.
The legislative session, officially scheduled to end Monday, could extend
into the week because of unfinished business including the marriage equality
bill and other significant items. | D**S 发帖数: 24887 | 2 It is already the PM on this Monday. Any news yet? | g********d 发帖数: 4174 | 3 Unfortunately, no news yet. But they may extend the session.
【在 D**S 的大作中提到】 : It is already the PM on this Monday. Any news yet?
|
|