David Paterson and Marriage Equality Legislation

by Michael Jones · 2009-04-14 09:02:00 UTC
Topics:

Paterson

Big news this coming Thursday.  The Governor of New York, David Paterson, has announced plans that he will introduce marriage equality legislation into the New York legislature, forcing both the House and the Senate to take up the issue faster than originally anticipated.

It shouldn't be so much of a problem in the State House (known in NY as the State Assembly), where marriage equality legislation previously sailed through in 2007.  The major roadblock could be in the State Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has said that marriage equality advocates are at least a vote or two short.

Paterson, citing Iowa's court ruling legalizing same-sex marriage, and Vermont's legislative vote legalizing marriage equality, wants to make New York the next in line to recognize same-sex marriage.  But one potential downside for marriage equality advocates?  Paterson's approval ratings are approaching Dick Cheney's.  Which has some advocates wondering if this is the right time - or the right Governor - to be championing such legislation.

We'll wait and see how things pan out on Thursday, after Gov. Paterson introduces the bill at a press conference in Midtown Manhattan.

Michael Jones is a Change.org Editor. He has worked in the field of human rights communications for a decade, most recently for Harvard Law School.
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