With just weeks left in the legislative
session, the AP is reporting that a vote in New York to legalize gay
marriage is in trouble.
In a piece written by Michael Gormley
titled Analysis: Gay Marriage In NY Hits Stumbling Blocks,
Gormley quotes sources inside the Senate Republican conference saying
they've seen no changed votes.
Of course, Republican votes in the
Senate have always been the key to legalizing the institution.
That's because the GOP controls the chamber, and while several
Republican lawmakers have hinted that they might be open to
supporting the measure, none has yet.
A 2009 effort to legalize gay marriage
died in the Senate with no Republican support.
Of course, not all Democratic Senators
support marriage equality either. The Senate's most vociferous
opponent is Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. of the Bronx, a Democrat. Diaz, a
Pentecostal minister, helmed a rally against the institution attended
by thousands last weekend.
The campaign's most visible lawmakers –
Governor Andrew Cuomo and Democratic Senator Thomas Duane – have
also signaled that the proposed legislation might be in trouble.
On Tuesday, Cuomo said he wouldn't
bring the legislation up for a vote unless he felt it would pass.
During a lobbing day in Albany for
marriage equality, Duane said that even New York City Mayor Michael
Bloomberg's influence hasn't won over any Republicans.
“It doesn't matter what the heartfelt
support is,” said Duane, who is gay and carried the bill in 2009.
“It cannot pass without Republican votes … yet none of them
support my right to get married.”
Additionally, opponents are not simply
holding the line. They have introduced a measure that would end the
state's practice of recognizing the marriages of gay and lesbian
couples performed in other states. The loophole allows gay couples
from New York willing to travel to nearby Connecticut or Canada to
legally marry.