One of the leading proponents of the marriage-equality bill that is currently lingering just off the floor of the New York State Senate, Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, says he’s still optimistic about getting it passed — even with Republicans now seemingly in charge and the end of session rapidly approaching. “I believe that it’s still coming regardless of who controls the Senate,” he told New York. “Every year more Americans and more New Yorkers support my right to a marriage license.” He pointed out that newly minted Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos has said all along he’ll let Republican senators vote with their conscience, rather than insisting on a party-line vote — but that says nothing of getting the bill itself introduced for a vote, which, if it turns out the coup that happened today is legal, will be up to him to do. A court ruling will probably have to resolve the issue now — though the new team does appear to be making good already on promises to share power and resources more equitably. Ruben Diaz Sr., a member of the so-called “Group of Four” whose fellow renegade Democrats Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada today gave the Republicans back the majority, said he is not yet decided where he’ll end up standing. “When the court decides, I will decide,” he said this afternoon. Though he does not seem to have been an architect of this recent coup, and Senators Espada and Monserrate are actually both supporters of marriage equality, Diaz could use his valuable fence-sitting position once again as a way to keep the bill off the floor.
Related: Gay Math [NYM]
