UPDATE @ 8:21 PM: Consensus growing that Senate is moving faster than expected. We'll shift over to the live stream soon. Don't want to miss a thing.
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UPDATE @ 7:54 PM: The compromise religious amendments to the marriage bill passed by a margin on 82 - 47. Now over to the Senate for real.
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UPDATE @ 7:50 PM: The Assembly will be voting to accept the religious exemption amendments. Danny O'Donnell is the sponsor. Watch here.
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UPDATE @ 6:56 PM: Every source I'm checking indicates that marriage will be the last thing on the Senate agenda. Hearing it could arrive on the floor around 11 PM. But, that is, as everyone who has watched the machinations in Albany is aware, subject to change. NYT's Nick Confessore reminds us of the vote count:
For those counting at home: #gaymarriage still one vote short. Two R senators, Mark Grisanti and Stephen Saland, remain publicly undecided.And, check out this fact from Nate Silver:
If gay marriage passes in the NY tonight, it will more than double the number of Americans living in states with marriage equality.This is shaping up to be an historic evening. It's got to be a very rough night for Maggie Gallagher and Brian Brown. On Wednesday, they were claiming victory. Now, it looks that trendline is going to accelerate -- and fast.
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UPDATE @ 6:20 PM: That third GOP Senator, Andrew Lanza, is a no, via The Albany Times Union:
Sen. Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, sez he's a no on #samesexmarriageWe'll talk more about him later.
You can watch the livestream here. The marriage debate isn't expected for awhile. Hours even. Hope they're ready for the traffic tonight.
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UPDATE @ 5:54 PM: I'll keep updating this post until we go to the livestream and tweeting and RT'ing (@joesudbay) as fast as I can.
Two key tweets. There are three undecided Republicans. Here are reports, via Capitol Tonight,on two of them:
CapitalTonight Saland on #samesexmarriage vote: I'm getting there."And:
CapitalTonight Mark Grisanti says he's still undecided.Lanza is the third undecided.
Here's the statement from Skelos:
After many hours of deliberation and discussion over the past several weeks among the members, it has been decided that same sex marriage legislation will be brought to the full Senate for an up or down vote.I understand the Assembly will vote first to approve the amendments, then over to the Senate. THIS IS HUGE!
The entire Senate Republican Conference was insistent that amendments be made to the Governor’s original bill in order to protect the rights of religious institutions and not-for-profits with religious affiliations. I appreciate the Governor’s cooperation in working with us to address these important issues and concerns.
As I have said many times, this is a very difficult issue and it will be a vote of conscience for every member of the Senate.
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UPDATE @ 5:39 PM: Confirmation from Senate Majority Leader. Game on for real! From CapitolTonight:
Skelos confirms: #samesexmarriage coming to the floor.____________
UPDATE @ 5:31 PM: The coalition, New Yorkers United for Marriage, supports the new language:
"The amended Marriage Equality legislation protects religious liberties without creating any special exceptions that would penalize same-sex couples or treat them unequally. The legislation strikes an appropriate balance that allows all loving, committed couples to marry while preserving religious freedom."Ok. And, this tantalizing tidbit via Capitol Tonight:
Asmblymn O'Donnell; can assure u if in fact its put to Sen floor there are the votes to pass it. Have known for a number of weeks 32 votes.Now, do we get the Senate vote. NYT's Danny Hakim is hearing yes:
#gaymarriage coming to floor, Senate source saysStay tuned. Seriously. We'll embed a live feed from the Senate if anything happens.
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UPDATE @ 4:50 PM: Things are starting to happen. Via State Watch, Danny O'Donnell has introduced the new language:
Assemblyman O'Donnell introduced AB 8520 - Chapter amendments to AB 8354 - Relates to the ability to marry.That bill is here.
Also, new: NYT Albany Bureau Chief Danny Hakim tweeted:
Speaker Silver: Assem will take up #gaymarriage and everything else tonightSo, Assembly will accept the new religious language. Big question is what the Senate will do and whether we'll get that 32nd vote.
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The Republican State Senators began their conference at 10 AM this morning -- and, by all accounts, they're still in it. We still don't know what's going to happen. A few minutes ago, saw this tweet from New York Times Albany Bureau Chief Danny Hakim :
Senate spox says we'll know tonight whether they'll take up marriage; conferencing it and other issues nowBut, there was a major development this afternoon, which was just broken by NYT's Nick Confessore:
The Cuomo administration and legislative leaders have reached agreement on language that would protect religious institutions from obligations to recognize same-sex marriage, two people involved in the negotiations said on Friday afternoon, potentially paving the way for a vote on the marriage legislation.Okay. Stay tuned. For real this time, it seems.
Senate Republicans were still discussing the marriage bill among themselves in a close door meeting on Thursday afternoon. And it remained unclear whether — and even if — they would permit a vote on the broader legislation. Assembly lawmakers, which approved an earlier version of the same-sex marriage bill last week, would need to approve the new language in a new vote before the full bill could become law.
Emerging from a meeting with Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Daniel J. O’Donnell, a Manhattan Democrat who is sponsor of the gay marriage bill in the assembly, said that there was an “agreement in principle” on the new language. He predicted the new language would be adopted on Friday.
