June 22nd, 2009
The New York Senate may vote on marriage equality this week. And the vote may not originate with either Malcolm Smith, the deposed Democratic Majority Leader, or Pedro Espada, his Republican/Coalition replacement. Rather, the Governor himself may be forcing the Senate to vote on the issue.
The Governor has had it with the squabbling of the two parties and is ordering emergency sessions to force both sides to meet and vote.
Paterson ordered senators to stay in Albany Tuesday, and likely for several more days to take action required by the end of the month.
Pending measures include authorizing local governments to raise municipal taxes needed for budgets due as early as July 1, extending mayoral control of New York City schools and continuing to provide lower-cost energy to companies in exchange for job growth.
The Democratic governor also says he will require additional special sessions to force the Senate to consider other bills, including the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The constitutionality of the Governor’s action may be presumed by the fact that the chief judge of the Court of Appeals (New York’s Supreme Court), Jonathan Lippman, had made himself available to preside over the Senate.
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David C.
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Well, about the only state house antics stranger than those of California are New York’s. I’ll be really surprised if gay marriage comes to New York state in this legislative session. New Yorker’s that care seem interested in just getting a vote so they can figure out who to support in the future.
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