N.Y. sen. says he has the votes on same-sex marriage
New York’s state Senate is heading toward voting to legalize same-sex marriage by the end of June, according to the issue’s biggest advocate in the chamber.
State Sen. Thomas Duane (D) told the New York Daily News that he has the votes to get the measure passed. Duane needs at least 32 senators to vote for the bill to pass it and he said he has that many, including some Republicans.
New York’s other legislative chamber, the Assembly, passed same-sex marriage legislation last month by a large margin. Gov. David Paterson (D) supports the legislation.
The news out of New York comes, of course, a week after the California Supreme Court upheld Proposition 8, which banned same-sex marriage in California. If New York does pass the measure, it would become the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage, following Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, Vermont and Maine. New Jersey’s State House is also considering similar legislation.
It also comes shortly after new polling that suggests a majority of Americans continue to oppose same-sex marriage.
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