Albany, NY — Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo held a confidential strategy session with selected New York City gay activists on Wednesday to discuss how to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, the latest sign that he is preparing to put the weight of his administration behind legislation that has divided lawmakers and voters across the country.
Governor Cuomo released a statement following the session. "Today's meeting was one in a series of many meetings to discuss a marriage equality bill. Same-sex couples deserve the right to join in civil marriage, and it is simply unfair to deny them the freedom to make this decision for themselves and their families. To me this is more than just a piece of legislation. This is about the lives of people who I have known for many years, who currently are without the rights to which they are entitled. I look forward to working with lawmakers and stakeholders to make sure that New York joins the growing number of states that allow the freedom to marry for all couples."
By most accounts, the task will not be easy, even for the highly popular Democratic governor, whose wide margin of electoral victory and long history in Albany has given him unusual influence within the slow-moving culture of the capital.
When the Legislature was controlled by Democrats two years ago, a bill to legalize gay marriage was defeated in the Senate by a 38-to-24 vote, with eight Democrats opposing the measure. Now, the Republicans control the Senate by a narrow margin.
Marriage equality advocates say the governor needs to win over at least six members of the Senate — and, most likely, a few Republicans, none of whom backed the bill in 2009.
As part of this effort, Mr. Cuomo and his aides are working on assembling an effective coalition of gay activists who, despite a shared agenda, have not always coordinated well together.
Even so, Mr. Cuomo may introduce a bill to make same-sex marriage legal in New York by June, people familiar with his thinking said. The Republican Senate leader, Dean G. Skelos of Long Island, has said he will allow a vote; whether a Republican will support it remains an open question.
Cuomo met with Ross D. Levi, the head of the state’s leading gay rights organization, the Empire State Pride Agenda; NYC Council member Christine Quinn, who is openly gay; Brian Ellner staff member of the Human Rights Campaign, the Washington D.C. based advocacy group; and Richard Socarides, who recently started the media advocacy group Equality Matters.
The Marriage Equality bill's main sponsors, Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell and Senator Tom Duane, also met with the group.
Even though the Senate majority will let the bill come to the floor doesn't meant it'll pass. None of the Senators that voted no in 2009 have indicated that they would be willing to change their vote. In the 2010 election one yes vote, Antoine Thompson was defeated and replaced by Senator Mark Grisanti, a republican who has indicated in a recent radio interview that he would not support marriage equality.
—staff
