New York State
assembly member Daniel O'Donnell, one of three gay
assembly members, officially introduced Gov. Eliot
Spitzer's marriage bill in the chamber Monday with a
record number of 53 cosponsors, up from 24 the year
before.
A marriage bill
has been introduced in both houses of the New York
legislature for five years running now, but it has never
been allowed to come up for a vote in either the
Democrat-controlled assembly or the
Republican-controlled senate.
The marriage bill
needs 76 votes to pass in the assembly, where 69
members have indicated some support for the bill; 48 remain
undecided, and 33 have voiced their opposition,
according to a legislative scorecard being kept by the
Empire State Pride Agenda, New York's LGBT civil rights
organization.
O'Donnell expects
the bill to come up for a vote in the next few weeks,
according to Trenton Straube, editor of the New York
Blade. "He said they have enough support to pass
it," said Straube, noting that beyond the 53
cosponsors, about 20-some members had privately told
O'Donnell they would vote for the bill. "O'Donnell
said he won't push for a vote unless the bill will
pass," Straube added, recounting a conversation they
had during the Brooklyn Bridge march for marriage
equality last Saturday.
Gay state senator
Thomas Duane is still expected to introduce the
marriage bill in the senate, where getting a vote is less
likely. (The Advocate)
