Approaching the third day of an extended session, it couldn't get more dramatic:
Well, Instinct Magazine is reporting — citing the Twitter feed of the Capital Tonight news program — that gay marriage proponents have the 32nd vote they need to break the 31-31 deadlock in the senate over the issue. In addition, the New York Civil Liberties Union claims, also via Twitter, that pro-marriage forces “have more than enough votes” to carry the measure.
But no vote has been scheduled as of now. If you support gay marriage in New York, now would be a good time to contact your senator.
A vote could possibly occur tonight. The Conservative opposition is sweating. The central contention of the bill, religious exemptions, seems to be resolved:
Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver emerged from the three-way meeting with Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos to say he has seen a draft of the chapter amendment for religious exemptions on same-sex marriage and it’s “acceptable.” Silver also said his chamber would vote on the amendment to the same-sex marriage bill only after Senate Republicans take up the measure. … The fact that language exists for religious carveouts on the bill is a signal that the measure could move forward in the Senate, where the measure is deadlocked 31-31.
All signs point to a tie-breaking vote by Staten Island Republican Andrew Lanza, and some suspect that up to five Republicans will follow suit – if the GOP conference actually brings the bill to the floor. Stay tuned.
The Dish 