The State Senate delayed a highly anticipated vote on same-sex marriage on Tuesday, putting off the issue indefinitely as gay rights supporters continued to lobby for additional votes, reports The New York Times.
Republicans and Democrats said that as of Tuesday afternoon, the measure was still several votes short of the 32 necessary for approval. About five Democrats remained either opposed or noncommittal, meaning that Republican votes were needed to secure passage.
But not enough Republicans have committed to voting yes, legislators said.
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It was unclear when the Senate would take the issue up. Wednesday is Veterans Day, a holiday, meaning that it would be at least the end of the week before the Senate could vote on the bill.
The delay leaves proponents and opponents of same-sex marriage with more time to lobby for votes, which they were both doing in earnest at the Capitol on Tuesday.
Governor David Paterson vowed to put the bill on agendas for special sessions next Monday and Tuesday. “I would rather see an up or down vote than no action at all,” he told reporters Tuesday night.
Paterson has called upon the state legislature to vote on a bill that would allow same-sex marriage in the Empire state, calling it “an issue that touches on the very core of our citizenship.”
Full story at The New York Times.
