Marriage Equality Vote Taking Place Today!

[C-J]

Just receceived an email from the Courage Campaign that the vote is going to start debate today followed by a vote.  *fingers crossed*

The debate just started and is available online.

Here is the email:

The day many New Yorkers have longed for has arrived.

The New York Senate just moved to debate -- and then immediately vote on -- the marriage equality bill.

There will be four hours of debate, prior to the vote and according to our friends on the inside, signs are looking good for passage.

The Assembly last night passed an identical bill during the special session. Now we need the Senate to pass the bill. Then it is on to Governor Patterson for his promised signature.

Before the Senate vote happens, please make a last-minute call to your State Senator and urge them to vote for marriage equality by using this easy "click-to-call" tool from our friends at New York for Equality:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/NewYorkEquality

You can also watch history unfold online.

Follow the proceedings live by streaming video from the Senate Majority's website:

http://www.nysenate.gov/initiative/marriage-equality

If you are on Twitter, @NYSenate will be live-tweeting from the floor.

Your calls today could make marriage equality history. Thank you for taking action.

Julia Rosen
Online Political Director, Courage Campaign

[mcdirk]

It's taking place now - the debate at least.  Channel 159 on Time Warner Cable.  Senator Tom Duane, the sponsor of the marriage bill, our openly gay State Senator from Chelsea, is speaking.

Hope Onorato votes the right way and it passes!

[AJTNYC]

The bill was defeated by a vote of 38 to 24....pathetic.

[C-J]

We really need to unseat our wonderful Senator who still thinks that we are living in Astoria before the development of the last 15 or so years...

[paratactical]

The bill was defeated by a vote of 38 to 24....pathetic.

 

[Mer]

The bill was defeated by a vote of 38 to 24....pathetic.

BOOOOOOO!   It was expected, but it still stings.   

[daisy]

NY sucks.

[C-J]

NY sucks.

That is why we got legally married in Connecticut two months ago...

[mangopaco]

Let's get Onorato out of there! 

[round2]

Onorato is the Strom Thurmond of our district - it's a matter of time before this wielding of power for the obstruction of equal rights is viewed as a reflection of the shameful past.

Astoria could surely generate and elect candidates capable of better public service than this.

[Tracer Bullet]

I just called both Onorato's Albany and Astoria offices to register my displeasure at his vote. The woman at the Albany office was pleasant and dutifully took my name and address.

The man who answered the phone at the Astoria office basically hung up on me. I called back and had a nice "chat" with him for a couple minutes. His justification for why Onorato voted no on the bill? "He has to do what he has to do."

Onorato needs to be challenged by a more progressive Democrat for the seat in 2010.