New York to Vote on Same-Sex Marriage Bill

Governor David Paterson has introduced a bill that would provide same-sex couples with equal marriage rights.

In the past month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Senator Charles E. Schumer have both expressed support for  legalizing gay marriage in New York. Governor David Paterson recently followed suit when he introduced a bill that would allow same-sex couples to get married in the state.

In an emotional speech, Governor Paterson announced his determination to see same-sex marriage become a reality in New York. “We have all known the wrath of discrimination,” he said. “We have all felt the pain and the insult of hatred. This is why we are all standing here today.”

In 2007, former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer introduced the same bill to legalize same-sex marriage that Governor Paterson is planning to reintroduce on Thursday. The bill passed 85-61 in the New York state assembly before stalling in the state senate. Though some senate leaders say they are a few votes short of the 32 needed to pass the bill, Democrats now have control of both the house and the senate, which could change the outcome this time around.


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