Will New York’s same-sex marriage bill get a an up-or-down vote? New York State Senate Republicans spent four hours in a closed-door session Wednesday discussing whether or not to allow a vote on Governor Cuomo’s same-sex marriage bill. Senate Majority Leader, Republican Dean Skelos, told reporters that the caucus was “undecided,” about bringing the bill to a vote, but regardless of their decision, he would respect their wishes. Senate Republicans will take up the issue again Thursday, just days before the end of this Senate session.
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“Discussions are going to continue,” said Skelos. “The issue has not been resolved, and I’ll respect the decision of the conference once it’s made, but the conference has asked me to keep the confidence of the conference at this point, which I intend to do. That’s my responsibility as a leader. And we will continue to conference the issue tomorrow.”
It is conceivable the bill could die without a vote.
Tuesday, New York Archbishop Tim Dolan, a staunch opponent of the bill, in any form, suggested that if lawmakers pass Governor Cuomo’s marriage equality bill, New York will be like communist China or North Korea, where “government presumes daily to ‘redefine’ rights, relationships, values, and natural law.â€
Conventional wisdom currently puts the vote count at 31 “yes” votes, one shy of the necessary 32 for a majority of the Senate’s 62 members.
Republican Senator Roy McDonald of Saratoga, NY became the 31st “yes” vote.
“Everybody’s different. Try to get along, try to do the right thing. It’s a difficult vote but I think it’s the right thing to do,” McDonald told NY1, which reports,
“In addition to McDonald, NY1 has learned Republican Senator Mark Grisanti of Buffalo is switching his public position from “no” to “undecided.”
“Staten Island Senator Andrew Lanza says he is also thinking about the legislation.
“While Lanza has been a constant “no” vote on issue, he says he is listening to his constituents.
“This is the first time I find myself in a position where I am struggling with respect to ascertaining what they right thing to do here is,” Lanza said.”
NY1 also has a same-sex marriage vote tracker.