ALBANY—Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell, who sponsored a 2007 bill to legalize same-sex marriage, said he was told the bill David Paterson will introduce Thursday is an identical program bill. He is confident it will pass again in the Assembly, and had this to say about the State Senate: "When Governor Spitzer introduced his bill in 2007, we did not have the votes in the Assembly to pass the bill, but over time, we were able to gather a majority of people to vote yes."
O'Donnell says he is "pleased as punch" with the timing of Paterson's announcement, even if the move has not been well-received by all state legislators.
"The governor, I know, has always been a fervent supporter for equal rights for all, including members of the gay and lesbian community," said O'Donnell, who is gay and has a longtime partner. "In light of what has happened in Vermont and Iowa, it is clear that the time to seize upon the momentum around this issue is now."
Without confirming (or denying) that the bill would come out on Thursday, Paterson told reporters after a Tuesday event on Long Island that there are 1,200 to 1,350 "civil protections" that gay couples cannot enjoy, and added, "We would like to address them at some point in the near future."
I asked O'Donnell if he was worried about the immediate timing of the bill, when Senate passage is not ensured, might help Republicans take back the chamber.
"In the history of the United States of America, no state legislator has lost his or her job because they voted for marriage equality," he said, noting that Republicans who voted for the Assembly bill remained in office. "They can bring on as much money as they want. In the end, legislators are paid to make responsible decisions for what is best for the people."
Senator Tom Duane, who carried the bill in the past, initially was skeptical about the change in strategy, but now is telling reporters that there are (unnamed) Republicans in the chamber who will support the measure. At least four Democratic senators have said they won't support the legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has said he will bring the measure to the floor when there are enough votes to pass it, but will be under pressure from Paterson to hold a vote in any case.
O'Donnell thought there might be Republicans from Long Island willing to cross party lines.
One upstate Republican I talked to told me it was all news to her.
"I certainly support equal rights, and I think same-sex couples should have equal rights, but I believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman," said Senator Betty Little, whose district that includes Glens Falls. Two other Republican senators I talked to said something similar. "I just sort of assumed that Smith promised Senator Diaz that it will not come up this year," said Little.
