So this will have to be short and sweet, but wanted to get this out there for anyone who may not be reflexively refreshing the Google News results for New York Marriage Equality as I have been today (and likely will be all week this week).
The New York Times is now reporting on their City Room blog:
In Reversal, 3 Democratic Senators Will Back Gay Marriage
Reporting credit to Nicholas Confessore and Michael Barbaro
Updated, 2:00 p.m. | ALBANY — Three wavering Democratic lawmakers in the State Senate have agreed to support legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in New York, several people with knowledge of the negotiations said on Monday, marking a potential turning point for the long-debated measure.
The three senators — Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. and Shirley L. Huntley of Queens and Carl Kruger of Brooklyn — all voted against the measure in 2009, when it failed by a wide margin. Their switch to the yes column leaves all but one Senate Democrat supporting same-sex marriage — and the fate of the legislation in the hands of the Republican majority in the chamber.
Ben Smith at Politico has picked up on it, citing it as his source for his comments:
The New York State Senate seems poised to pass same-sex marriage legislation into law, putting the state on the brink of passing the legislation, as three Democratic legislators come out for the bill.
Albany Project has it as well.
Albany Project also has a recap of the article in the NY Post citing unnamed sources saying multiple Republicans are ready to vote "yes" this year:
Seven or more Senate Republicans have signaled Gov. Cuomo that they're ready to legalize same-sex marriage...potential Senate Republican "yes" votes, insiders say, are Kemp Hannon of Nassau County, Charles Fuscillo of Suffolk County, Betty Little of Glens Falls, Andrew Lanza of Staten Island, Greg Ball of Putnam County, James Alesi of Rochester, and Roy McDonald of Rensselaer County.
Of course, all of this would be moot if Senate President Dean Skellos backtracks on his promise to bring the vote to the floor and to allow his causus to "vote their conscience."
It's crunch time.
Have you called your senator yet this week? NOM is on the phone. Don't let their screaching drown out our voices of reason and progress.
Thanks...that is all (for now). Back to work (and to refreshing Google News every five minutes).
Late afternoon update: h/t to charliehall2 and jpmassar in the comments. One GOP Senator is now saying he's close to being a "yes" vote. From Outcome: Buffalo's Gay Newspaper:
After the Governors Marriage Equality strategy meeting it was learned that Rochester area New York State Senator James Alesi will support Marriage Equality after some language in the is changed that would prevent religious groups from being forced to sanctify marriages outside thier religious doctrine.
Alesi becomes the first Republican to indicate support for the same-sex marriage bill.
Second sourced per jpmassar in the comments quoting prop8trialtracker.com:
Just now, Republican Jim Alesi of the Rochester suburbs tells the press:
“If the bill comes to the floor the way that I would like to see it, I will support it,” Senator James S. Alesi, a Monroe County Republican, said before going into a meeting with Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo. Mr. Alesi did not elaborate.
Update #2: Quotes from the three new Dem supports, courtesy of WNYC News Blog
Sen. Joseph Addabo and Sen. Shirley Huntley, both of Queens, said the decision to change their positions came down to the changing attitudes of their constituents. Addabo said as of Friday, he had heard from 6,015 people, 4,839 of whom wanted him to vote in favor of the marriage bill.
"So in the end, that is my vote," Addabo said.
"The numbers have changed," echoed Huntley. "It was 60-40."
Sen. Carl Kruger was more philosophical as he described his turnaround. He's changing "not because he took a poll," but because he "kept an open mind, a pure heart and a keen ear" to the debate. He said he know believes it came down to "right and wrong."
"What we're about to do is redefine what the American family is. And that's a good thing," Kruger said. "The world around us evolves and changes, so do we have to change with it."