It passed!!! :):)
That was just the religious exemptions amendment. Sen. Diaz, the leading opponent (and only Democrat opposed) is speaking against the main bill right now. Saland sounded like a yes when he was speaking about the amendment. Hannon voted for the amendment but said he was a no on the bill itself.
I don’t know, because that quote is incorrectly attributed to me.
… (reads further)
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HOT DAMN!!! 
Since the amendment passed, it seems very likely the bill will pass.
NM
Senator Duane has trouble with the “Two minute time limit” thing and the “not rambling” thing.
Agreed; especially given the margin by which it passed. The Assembly isn’t in session right now; is it? So assuming the bill passes the Senate the Assembly could vote on it tomorrow (is there a mechanism for calling a straight yes/no vote on the Senate bill with no amendmants?), and Cuomo could sign it by Saturday evening with the first legal gay weddings in 30 days. I predict alot of celibate Roman Catholic priests & bishops ranting from their pulpits Sunday morning. Also alot many fundie Protestant ministers will be pissed off too.
I’m not sure if the Assembly needs to vote again.
It’s passed. Well, I mean, technically, it hasn’t passed yet, but Sen. Grisanti, who was on the fence and just voted yes, added to the people who have already committed to voting yes, makes 32 votes.
Grisanti’s a yes. Saland sounded like he’s a yes. With 29 Democrats, Alesi, and McDonald, that’s 33 by my count. All over but that voting, I think (knock on wood).
The Assembly needs to vote again since the bill has now been amended since their previous vote. Both chambers need to pass the same language.
“A bright light shines on this chambuh,” says the last senator to speak. The local accent is a natural for poetry, isn’t it? Anyway the gist of Kruger’s speech is “we’re all so great,” which means they’re going to pass this.
Ayes 33, Nays 29
[QUOTE=Mr Duffy]
Ayes 33, Nays 29.
[/QUOTE]
How did I become Mr Duffy?
Same sex marriage law?
Woot!
AFAIK, the Assembly already voted earlier this evening on identical language.
I haven’t heard that, do you have any idea where you did?
Mr. Cuomo is probably shining up his favorite bill-signing pen right now.
It’s a long long journey to the capitol city, it’s a long long wait while you’re sittin’ in committee…
[ He signed you, Bill! Now you’re a law!]
Hurray for Steve Saland – my senator.
Called him several times, emailed him, faxed him once–and when the phone message system was overloaded earlier this week, I went to his local office to lobby him in person. (No, I didn’t get to speak to him–he was in Albany.) “I’m on the vestry of a local church,” I said, “and I speak for my wife as well as for my two voting-age children–just so he knows not all heterosexual Christians are against this bill.” “Got it,” said the assistant I spoke with, and she wrote it all down…
(Saland’s rabbi was in favor. That probably helped. His wife is said to be in favor too. That no doubt helped as well.)