Same-sex-marriage news from the East Coast

As y'all may know, Gov. Paterson of New York introduced a bill to legalize same-sex marriage last week. Unfortunately, there's substantial opposition to the bill in the state Senate; marriage-equality supporters in the legislature were hoping to wait to introduce the bill until they were certain they could pass it. (Even though the Democrats are in the majority, outspoken Democrat Senator Rubén Díaz has been voicing strong opposition.) And Paterson has remarkably low approval numbers, so his support for the bill may not make much difference. It was sounding like there was at least a chance that it could go through, but this week the governor is saying that he'll leave it up to State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith to decide whether to bring the bill to a vote or not; Smith is "a gay marriage supporter who has repeatedly said he would not bring up the bill unless it appeared likely to pass." So that bill may not happen.

But on the plus side, according to a new poll, New Yorkers support marriage equality by 53% to 39%. That's remarkable, assuming it's accurate. I hope the state Senators are paying attention.

Meanwhile, another new poll says that New Jersey voters support same-sex marriage, 49% to 43%. And in Connecticut, where same-sex marriage is already legal due to a state Supreme Court decision, the legislature has now voted by a substantial majority (in both houses) to codify the Court decision; Republican governor M. Jodi Rell says she'll sign the bill.

Meanwhile, Maine is having hearings about same-sex marriage. The future of the current pro-same-sex-marriage bill there is uncertain, but fwiw, Maine's Attorney General is a strong supporter:

"People in my community do not mind if two people of the same sex live together, share property together, raise a family together, and that is what we traditionally call marriage," she said. "The people of my community do care that there is enough love to nourish a marriage, enough love to grow a family, enough love to sustain a community."

Assorted same-sex-marriage videos and other links to follow in next entry.

One Response to “Same-sex-marriage news from the East Coast”

  1. Vardibidian

    Oops! Read these in the wrong order; CT is on the east coast, too…

    Thanks,
    -V.

    reply

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