Despite Governor Paterson’s desire hold a vote on a marriage-equality bill regardless of whether the votes are lined up beforehand, he says he’ll “stick with” the “final judgment” of Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, who would rather wait until passage is assured. Newsday calls this a “backpedal” and a “reversal” on Paterson’s part, but it’s not. Even at his fiery press conference last week, Paterson said he wasn’t “attempting to instruct the majority leader of the Senate” on the issue. Paterson wants the vote, and deplores how Albany stifles open debate it’s just not up to him. [Newsday]
