New York GOP Ready to Delay Gay Marriage Vote for Days

[w8liftinglady]

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2011/06/new-york-gops-stubbornness-could-delay-gay-marriage-vote-days/39024/

As the demonstrations in New York's capitol building reach new volumes, on-the-ground reports indicate that state senate Republicans could delay a vote on the state's gay marriage for days. Protestors on both sides of the issue began singing around noon on Monday as senators moved in and out of the chamber in Albany. Reads a tweet from the New York state politics television program Capital Tonight: "Just informed by a GOP senator that this stalemate situation could go til Wed and maybe Thurs. That's a lot of hymns." Capital Tonight also reported: "Also told some senators have packed for at least Thursday."

The Senate is scheduled to go into session at 3 p.m. today, but in the meantime, governor Andrew Cuomo--an aggressive proponent of the gay marriage law who has vowed to extend the legislative session, scheduled to end at 11:59 Monday night, if an agreement is not reached--is meeting with Republican state senators. According to one reporter in the Capitol, he met with GOP Senators Kemp Hannon, assistant majority leader for house operations, and Stephen Saland at 12:45 p.m.

[brooklynite]

1. Not really the issue...

This is not a matter of delaying a couple of days. Either the GOP will hold a vote, which will almost certainly end up as "yes", or they won't allow a vote at all.

[TheWraith]

5. A lot of people in NY think that this is an effort to kill the bill.

Drag it out, delay, delay, delay, nobody sponsors it so it won't come up for a vote, and just run out the clock.

[GodlessBiker]

2. For christ's sake. Do they want all this in their ears for days? They know it ...

will eventually pass; that if it fails this year, that next year it will be even louder and more insistent. Just vote YES now and get they damn thing over with and put yourselves out of your misery.

[TheWraith]

4. Republicans are not good at accepting progress. It's basically their entire schtick. nt

[Vanje]

7. You got that right

Fingers crossed. The whole country is watching. (Even here in Idaho!)

[William769]

3. Watching a live feed right now (well sort of)

They are meeting behind closed doors at the moment with Democrats. Before break they said they would be back at 2:00pm.

[closeupready]

6. I knew they were going to do this.

nt