MedicCook
04-23-2007, 10:55 AM
Spitzer to push same-sex marriage
Governor will introduce bill, but acknowledges a long road ahead
Gov. Eliot Spitzer will introduce a bill in the coming weeks to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, his spokeswoman said Friday, a move that would propel New York to the forefront of one of the most contentious issues in politics.
Though he had long voiced support for same-sex marriage and had promised during his campaign last year to introduce legislation to legalize it, Spitzer did not mention the issue in his State of the State speech in January or in remarks a week ago outlining his priorities for the remainder of the legislative session, which ends June 21.
But his spokeswoman, Christine Anderson, said that Spitzer would not back away from his campaign pledge.
"The governor made a commitment to advance a program bill, and he will fulfill that commitment during this legislative session," Anderson said, using the term that refers to legislation introduced directly by the governor rather than by a state agency or by the Legislature.
Several states allow some form of civil unions for same-sex couples, including Connecticut, where lawmakers are debating legislation that would take the further step of legalizing marriage for lesbian and gay male couples. Massachusetts is the only state where same-sex marriage is legal.
Any legislation to make New York the second such state will face a steep climb in Albany, a fact that Spitzer has acknowledged. Explaining why he did not include the gay-marriage bill among his list of post-budget legislative priorities, Spitzer said last week that he "was listing bills that I think we can and should get passed by the Legislature in the next few weeks. And so I am focusing now on politics as the art of the possible.
"I think most who are close to the issue would agree with me that it's not likely to be passed in the next nine and a half weeks," Spitzer added.
Legislation to legalize same-sex marriage has never made it to a floor vote in either the Assembly, which has a Democratic majority, or the Republican-controlled state Senate. Sheldon Silver, the Assembly speaker, has declined to take a stand on the issue. Joseph L. Bruno, the Senate majority leader, has supported legislation to outlaw hate crimes and workplace discrimination against gays, but he remains opposed to same-sex marriage.
Two legislators from Manhattan, state Sen. Thomas K. Duane and Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, both Democrats, have tried for several years to shepherd a gay-marriage bill through the Legislature and are trying again this year. That bill has at least 14 sponsors in the Senate and 42 in the Assembly.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=583142&category=FRONTPG&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=4/23/2007
Governor will introduce bill, but acknowledges a long road ahead
Gov. Eliot Spitzer will introduce a bill in the coming weeks to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, his spokeswoman said Friday, a move that would propel New York to the forefront of one of the most contentious issues in politics.
Though he had long voiced support for same-sex marriage and had promised during his campaign last year to introduce legislation to legalize it, Spitzer did not mention the issue in his State of the State speech in January or in remarks a week ago outlining his priorities for the remainder of the legislative session, which ends June 21.
But his spokeswoman, Christine Anderson, said that Spitzer would not back away from his campaign pledge.
"The governor made a commitment to advance a program bill, and he will fulfill that commitment during this legislative session," Anderson said, using the term that refers to legislation introduced directly by the governor rather than by a state agency or by the Legislature.
Several states allow some form of civil unions for same-sex couples, including Connecticut, where lawmakers are debating legislation that would take the further step of legalizing marriage for lesbian and gay male couples. Massachusetts is the only state where same-sex marriage is legal.
Any legislation to make New York the second such state will face a steep climb in Albany, a fact that Spitzer has acknowledged. Explaining why he did not include the gay-marriage bill among his list of post-budget legislative priorities, Spitzer said last week that he "was listing bills that I think we can and should get passed by the Legislature in the next few weeks. And so I am focusing now on politics as the art of the possible.
"I think most who are close to the issue would agree with me that it's not likely to be passed in the next nine and a half weeks," Spitzer added.
Legislation to legalize same-sex marriage has never made it to a floor vote in either the Assembly, which has a Democratic majority, or the Republican-controlled state Senate. Sheldon Silver, the Assembly speaker, has declined to take a stand on the issue. Joseph L. Bruno, the Senate majority leader, has supported legislation to outlaw hate crimes and workplace discrimination against gays, but he remains opposed to same-sex marriage.
Two legislators from Manhattan, state Sen. Thomas K. Duane and Assemblyman Richard N. Gottfried, both Democrats, have tried for several years to shepherd a gay-marriage bill through the Legislature and are trying again this year. That bill has at least 14 sponsors in the Senate and 42 in the Assembly.
http://timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=583142&category=FRONTPG&BCCode=HOME&newsdate=4/23/2007