NY’s run at same-sex marriage

The big news in New York this week is not Anthony Weiner. It’s a same-sex marriage bill that is teetering on the passage.

Here’s the story from the Associated Press:

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he was cautiously optimistic his gay marriage bill will soon become law as he held more one-on-one negotiations Friday with Senate Republicans. The Republicans who hold the critical votes say they worry Cuomo’s bill doesn’t adequately protect religious groups and churches that refuse to preside over same-sex weddings and other services.

(skip)

“There has been no decision — in fact that really was not the discussion — as to whether it will come out yet, who’s voting for it, who’s voting against it,” Majority Leader Dean Skelos said immediately after Friday’s two-hour conference.

The Long Island Republican said senators for and against gay marriage want to make the sure that if the bill gets a floor vote there won’t be “unintended consequences to this legislation” — a reference to religious protections.

As Cuomo says later in the story, the concern is with not imposing state action—the business of marriage ceremonies—on religious individuals who feel a religious to not officiate such same-sex weddings.

The bill seems to be moving pretty quickly, and it appears that NY legislatures want to resolve the religion issue quickly. One question, though, is whether passage of a law permitting same-sex marriage would lead to the short of voter revolt that California experienced in response to ” title=”legal drama” target=”_blank”>legal drama that has