Antigay NY Senator Could Be Expelled

New York state senator Hiram Monserrate, one of eight Democrats who notoriously voted against the marriage equality bill that failed last month, could face an expulsion vote by his colleagues in response to his assault conviction.

According to The New York Times, a state senate committee is set to release a report Thursday that will denounce Monserrate and make recommendations about his future in the aftermath of his conviction. The recommendations include the resolution for expulsion and a less serious resolution to censure the senator and remove him from his leadership posts.

Senate majority leader John Sampson will determine which of the two resolutions, if any, receives a vote.

"While the committee will stop short of recommending how senators should vote, legislators said they believe Mr. Monserrate, who was convicted of misdemeanor assault in connection with dragging his companion down a hallway during a December 2008 dispute, would not survive if the expulsion resolution reaches the Senate floor," the Times reported.