Jillian Rayfield June 23, 2011, 6:55 AM

Leaders of the New York legislature have not yet reached a deal on the final language of the state’s marriage equality bill, nor has there been a decision about bringing the legislation up for a vote.

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D) said today that though there are some amendments to the bill that address the Republicans’ concerns over religious exemptions, “there’s no final agreement on exact language.”

“They are not necessarily defined amendments,” he told reporters Wednesday after a closed-door meeting with Republican Senate Majority leader Dean Skelos and Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). “They would just guarantee certain religious freedoms for religious institutions.”

Skelos said of the language: “My colleagues and [the governor’s] counsel’s office are looking very closely at religious protections and I think they will conclude that. Once we have final legislation we’ll discuss it in conference.”

There are 31 state Senators who say they will vote for the marriage equality bill if it comes up for a vote — and it needs 32 to pass. But there have been some reports that a 32nd anonymous Republican is a confirmed supporter of the bill. As Capital Tonight tweeted earlier: “Republican working the #gaymarriage vote insists a firm 32 in Sen GOP conference, refuses to reveal tipping point. Still no word on vote.”

Meanwhile Republicans are getting pressure from elsewhere — Democratic state Senator Ruben Diaz and New York Conservative Party Chairman Michael Long. Both are strongly opposed to gay marriage, and wrote an op-ed in the National Review Online arguing that “Same-sex marriage is a government takeover of an institution the government did not create and should not redefine,” and that if it passes, “it is Republicans across the state who will pay the biggest price.”

This is no idle threat from Long — the Conservative Party is very powerful in New York, and no Republican candidate has been elected statewide without its backing for around three decades. “You say ‘I’m not for traditional marriage,’ you’re not going to get our endorsement,” Long said recently. “It’s as simple as that.”

Andrew Cuomo, Dean Skelos, Gay Marriage, Marriage Equality, New York, Ruben Diaz, Jr., Sheldon Silver