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New York Senate Defeats Gay Marriage Bill
The New York State Senate has defeated a bill to legalize gay marriage, voting 38 to 24.
The Senate shot down the bill after two and a half hours of debate this afternoon, during which no Republicans spoke. New York's other legislative body, the state assembly, had approved the bill in May by a vote of 89 to 52.
Gov. David Paterson (D) supported the measure. He called a special session in November for the Senate to consider the bill and vote on budget measures to reconcile a $3.2 billion deficit.
Democrats have a one-seat majority in the Senate. No Republicans voted for it, and several Dems voted against.
Although polls have shown support for gay marriage among New Yorkers, many observers questioned whether Paterson had the votes to pass it.
Earlier today, the Senate approved a $2.8 billion deficit reduction plan after months of bickering and stalled negotiations. Paterson released a statement saying it doesn't go far enough and will force him to make painful cuts to education and other sectors.
This is the latest blow for gay marriage. Last month, Maine voters repealed a law that had legalized same-sex marriage. Maine had been the first state to OK gay marriage legislatively.
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7 Comments so far
Show Allfor every one who thinks ny is just this liberal state
where anything goes this a slap back to reality. lot
of right wingers upstate who are stuck in the dark
ages. this proves fox news lies when they claim that
ny is the home of the lefty elite! try again next year!
You're right. Having lived in NYC and upstate, these are two totally different cultures.
They really need to change the national anthem from the Star Spangled Banner to This Ain't No Rag It's a Flag. At least then it would be more realistic.
I mean really. When I hear the words "O'er the land of the free......" it's getting hard to understand what they are singing about.
Yes. Yes.
Our country is not all that free.
Probably better than a country like China, which executes people for protesting government policies, but who wants to have a government like theirs?
Sadly, we ARE moving toward becoming like them.
Horrid.
I am a "straight" man, who cannot understand why people cannot get it through their thick skulls that people should be treated equally, that love and tolerance are the human and humane way to be.
To be otherwise is rotten
And, as I said about the Chinese government..... horrid.
The Good Lord makes people of all sorts. Who are these people to second guess God?
Unfortunately, the more states that vote this movement down, the easier it becomes to defeat it in other states. In Maine, the "vote no" people (which would have allowed gay marriage to continue), allowed the debate to become one of "definitions" which I believed was wrong. I mentioned to several people that the dabate should have been fought over 'fairness', much like the abortion issue is argued. MANY people who dislike the concept of abortion, still support the woman's right to choose, (hoping she will choose life of course), because it is not 'fair' to force a person to live by another's narrow opinion.
Read on 'digital journal' earlier that some church has said that there is no place in heaven for gays.... wow.... For anybody to believe in GOD, and then to profess to know exactly what HE believes is a streatch (in my opinion). (sort of a waste of human souls if gays aren't invited)....
The debate will go on, and eventually, the ice will crack and equality will have another victory.... peace
Now they need to go further with some kind of 'love-canceling' ray deployed from space. Soon we'll all be safe again.