It's widely expected that the New York legislature will pass a bill instituting same-sex marriage this week, but Jimmy Vielkind reports that an agreement still hasn't been reached yet:
State leaders have the framework of an agreement on end of session issues -- a property tax cap, rent control, state university tuition -- but the deal does not appear to include an agreement on same-sex marriage. [...] [Republican senate majority leader] Skelos said there is still no agreement on whether to bring same-sex marriage to a vote in his chamber. The bill passed the Assembly last week 80-63, and has the public support of 31 senators — one shy of the tally needed for passage. Skelos said “we have not finalized the language in terms of religious protections” some senators are seeking, and as such, a vote has not been scheduled. "We're working on details, but I'm very confident in working with the governor, he has shown tremendous leadership, and the speaker, showing flexibility, that we will have a session completed tomorrow," Skelos, R-Long Island, said.
Maggie Gallagher of the National Organization for Marriage made the case against the bill on an Albany news program yesterday:
Proponents of gay marriage have failed to pass laws in blue states such as Maryland and Rhode Island this year, but a win in New York would more than make up for those losses. It would certainly be the most significant legislative victory for gay marriage proponents.