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Updated Monday, 2:30 p.m. EST
Not only has a top Gov. Andrew Cuomo aide revealed that a marriage equality vote will take place in the New York Senate this week (and that he thinks it will pass), but three Democrat State Senators who voted against marriage equality in 2009 have also just revealed they plan to switch their votes to support the measure when it comes up this week. Details follow.
From the New York Times:
Three wavering Democratic lawmakers in the State Senate have agreed to support legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, several people with knowledge of the negotiations said on Monday, marking a potential turning point for the long-debated measure.
The three senators — Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. and Shirley L. Huntley of Queens and Carl Kruger of Brooklyn — all voted against the measure in 2009, when it failed by a wide margin. Their switch to the yes column leaves all but one Senate Democrat supporting same-sex marriage –and the fate of the legislation in the hands of the Republican majority in the chamber.
Three Republican senators would now have to vote for same-sex marriage if the measure is to pass in the 62-member chamber. The lone Democrat now opposing the measure, Ruben Diaz, Sr., is the Senate’s most vocal opponent of same-sex marriage and was not considered swayable under any circumstances.
Earlier today, Steve Cohen, Gov. Cuomo's top advisor on marriage equality, revealed that the vote would come this week, and that he believes it will pass.
"When I said the votes are there, my point was if people are allowed to vote their conscience and whether that happens it's up to the leadership,” said Cohen.”There is a general sense that people believe in this issue and that if it is not held back it will go forward and it will pass. But the politics of it are the politics of it and that I can’t control."
Cohen added, "This is an important piece of our agenda," he said. "It should pass. This is something that should be taken up. This is something that has widespread Democratic support. It should have widespread Republican support. But that’s not even what we need. What we simply need are 10% of the Republicans.”
The top aide to Gov. Cuomo went on to echo what other lawmakers and experts have been saying on Monday: the state Senate is expected to vote on marriage equality this week with little to no notice.
It is now more important than ever to contact your New York State Senator and tell them to vote yes for equality. (You can lookup contact information here.)
Stay tuned to Instinct for the latest updates on New York's fight for marriage equality!
(Source: New York Daily News)
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