Three key New York Democrats in the state Senate reportedly said Monday that they will support marriage equality legislation, an important reversal for Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), who is pushing to bring the measure up for a vote by the end of the week.
According to New York Times sources, Sens. Joseph P. Addabbo, Jr., Shirley L. Huntley, and Carl Kruger — who all voted against gay marriage when it last came up for vote in 2009 — have all said they would support the measure this time. This leaves five Republicans still undecided, with 29 Democrats who say they will vote for the legislation. It needs 32 votes to pass.
From the Times:
Around 3 p.m. Monday, Mr. Cuomo will meet with elected officials, gay rights advocates and labor groups to the State Capitol building for a final strategy session on how to pass same-sex marriage, according to people briefed on the plans.
A Cuomo aide told the Times Monday that he expected the vote to happen some time before the end of the week, just days before the legislative session wraps up on June 20.
Cuomo has previously said that supporters of the bill only want it brought up in the state Senate if they know they have the votes, to avoid a repeat of 2009 when it failed. “We don’t need another embarrassment and another setback,” he said.
Late Update: NY1 reports that in a press conference Monday afternoon, Cuomo said there would be a vote in the state Senate on gay marriage at some point before next Monday. “This is progress, we’re making great progress, we’re moving towards the goal line,” he said. “Twenty-nine out of 30 Democrats is a powerful, powerful statement.”
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