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发帖数: 4174 | 1 Posted on Advocate.com June 13, 2011 07:10:00 PM ET
Major Breakthroughs on Marriage Equality in New York
By Julie Bolcer
James Alesi x390 (pub) | ADVOCATE.COM
James Alesi
A statement of support from James Alesi, the first Republican state senator
to publicly announce he would vote yes on the marriage equality bill in New
York, capped a day of watershed developments on Monday as the legislature
moved briskly toward holding a vote, perhaps as early as this Thursday.
“It has been an extraordinary day,” said Brian Ellner, senior strategist
in New York for the Human Rights Campaign, a member of the bipartisan New
Yorkers for United for Marriage coalition working to pass the bill before
the legislative session ends on June 20. He added, “There is tremendous
momentum.”
Advocates said Alesi made his announcement in the afternoon following a
private meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo in Albany. The Rochester-area
Republican, long considered open to appeals from marriage equality advocates
, had previously characterized his mind as made up but refused to declare
his position. Last month, he sent a favorable signal by appearing at the
upstate dinner presented by the Empire State Pride Agenda, also a member of
the New Yorkers United for Marriage coalition.
“This becomes a matter of equality for people, our sons and daughters, (who
) deserve the same freedom and the same equality in this great country and
in the state of New York that each of every one of us enjoy in our everyday
life,” said Alesi, according to Gannett.
The statement from Alesi followed the pivotal announcement earlier Monday
that three undecided Democrats – Joseph Addabbo, Shirley Huntley, and Carl
Kruger - who voted no in 2009 would support the bill. By bringing all
Democrats except the avowedly antigay Ruben Diaz Sr. to the table, Cuomo and
the coalition cleared a major remaining hurdle and shifted the burden of
the bill’s passage to Republican senators, who uniformly voted against the
measure that failed after passing the assembly in 2009. Polls show that
historic majorities of New York voters support the same-sex marriage
legislation including Democrats and independents throughout the city,
suburban and upstate regions, although the Republican base remains opposed.
“Now that the burden has shifted, Republicans own it,” said one insider.
“They either do it or they don’t. Any failures are going to be squarely on
the shoulders of the Republicans.”
With the addition of three Democrats and one Republican, 30 senators now
publicly support the bill, leaving it just two votes shy of the number
required for passage in the 62-member senate controlled by Republicans. The
two remaining votes, or likely at least one more, to provide for political
cover, must come from the Republicans, who are expected to debate the bill
in conference Tuesday morning.
At least four more Republicans have been identified in surveys as undecided,
although it remains unclear when or whether they would announce their
support before a vote. Senate majority leader Dean Skelos, who personally
opposes the bill but holds the power to bring it to a vote, has repeatedly
said he would recommend the bill come to the floor pending consultation with
his members.
As of early Monday evening, Cuomo, who was holding a previously scheduled
meeting with Republican senators, had not yet sent a bill for the senate to
consider. However, a statement from New Yorkers United for Marriage
indicated its arrival was imminent.
“The advocates met as a group with the Governor to discuss next steps,”
said the statement after the rapid-fire breakthroughs of the afternoon. “It
was the consensus of the group that the Governor should send up a marriage
equality bill, and it is our understanding he will do so shortly.”
Cuomo has said repeatedly that he and the advocates do not want to hold a
vote on a bill that would fail. The decision to send a bill soon suggests
confidence of a successful vote outcome before the legislative ends on June
20, perhaps before the end of this week.
The senate was due back in session Monday night. Given the prescribed
waiting period for legislation sent under ordinary, non-emergency
circumstances, if the governor were to send a bill by midnight Monday, the
earliest it would be likely to receive a vote is Thursday, said sources
familiar with the process. | g********d
发帖数: 4174 | 2 WOW! Breakthrough in NY and the country! |
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