Gov. Paterson Says Marriage Equality Bill Will Pass in New York

Source: Rod 2.0

New York Gov. David Paterson says he expects to sign a marriage equality bill into law in the coming weeks.

Paterson says he expects the Senate to approve the measure. That would make New York the seventh state to legalize same-sex marriage. The Democrat-led Assembly approved 89-52 its version of the marriage bill in May. The bill has been stalled in the Senate.

Says the governor: "No longer in New York' will same-sex couples have to worry about insurance coverage, being allowed to visit each other hospitals, or whether they will be guaranteed the same rights as other married couples under law." Paterson's remarks were cheered by more than 1,200 people at the fall dinner of the Empire State Pride Agenda.
The governor expects to place the bill on the agenda for a special Senate session in the weeks ahead. But there are concerns that a Senate marriage vote may be tied to deal to balance the Empire State's $3 billion budget deficit. "I don't think the issue of civil rights should be tied to the budget," Alan Van Capelle of Empire State Pride Agenda tells WABC.

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