"As a record-breaking number of gay rights advocates were congregating Tuesday morning, May 1, in Albany to lobby lawmakers, Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell got a message. Speaker Shelly Silver gave word that O’Donnell would sponsor the governor’s gay marriage bill in the Assembly.'I intend to try to bring this to a vote before we leave Albany in June,' O’Donnell said in an interview Wednesday."
And the reason for such optimism:
Openly gay Assembly member O’Donnell’s optimism on Wednesday was in contrast to his guarded tone the previous day. He attributes the change to several factors. A dozen Assembly members have privately told him they would put their name on the bill, he said. Also, there has been a sea change in the issue resulting from the governor’s bill, which specifically exempts religious groups from having to marry gay couples.
Currently, the bill has 66 supporters in the Assembly (76 votes needed for a majority). The Pride Agenda's scorecard currently notes 62, with Assemblymembers Espiallat, Powell, Destito and Magnarelli added as a result of Tuesday's lobby visits. (State Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Martin Dilan were also added as supporters in that chamber).
1 comment:
It is time for all of us to thank those assembly people who have agreed to support us. We need to remind them that they are the ground breakers for change and social justice (their support is completely voluntary and not mandated by any court of law). They ought to be commended. We did our own lobbying May 1; let's get them “pumped up” to lobby for us in then next few weeks. I personally plan to thank them and ask if they need my help.
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