Just now, the New York State Senate voted to legalize same-sex marriage! The vote was 33-29. Since the Assembly passed the bill, it will go to Gov. Cuomo’s desk, where he will enthusiastically sign it (and kudos for his hard work on this). The measure cannot be repealed at the ballot.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Equality in NY!!!!
from the Prop8trialtracker:
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8 comments:
Keep the champagne chilling in the fridge because California is next.
Thank God I'm such a rotten fortune teller! I predicted you guys would get this first right up until the voting last night. I was convinced that the Republicans would scuttle the whole thing at the last minute. They probably tried, but failed this time.
Others report that the governor signed the bill later in the evening, so they say that wedding bells can chime in 30 days.
The bill was signed at 11:55 pm - Cuomo was waiting for it. In May when we talked with Alesi at the Senate (7 Episcopal clergy from his District in clerical garb)he wouldn't give an answer, but he did ask us to pray for him. We spread that word around, and kept up the calls, emails,letters. Same for Grisanti. ....and their hearts were moved! Alleluia!
Today New York! Tomorrow Callifornia!
I don't see how this affects CA, which is in court. And as much as people want to get to the Supremes, I think finding that the bad guys have standing would be a dangerous precedent. In any case,the wheels of justice there are grinding exceedingly slow.
THere's a vote in MN in 2012 to put an anti-equality amendment in their constitution. THAT'S the next fight...and don't forget we have lost every single one of those so far, I think it's 38. So we need to hie us to MN and fight the next fight there.
Thanks be to God!
...and thanks to so many for all their hard work in NY.
While we can't predict what, if any, impact this might have on the Supremes, I think it might have a good deal of impact on Kennedy, and possibly Roberts (fuhgeddabout Scalia, Why-hasn't-he-been-impeached-yet? Thomas, and Alito).
New York's legislative decision adds to the weight-of-history, critical mass...The Inevitable. Someone like Kennedy NOTICES that.
New York is very big with numerically the largest gay population of any state. New York's population is largely an emigrant and immigrant population with ties to home states and countries. It is a population that also travels and does business throughout the country. The effect of this decision will spread rapidly beyond New York and will cause expectations, as well as fears, to rise quickly in other states.
That the decision was reached through legislation after years of debate is bound to have an effect on judicial decision making. On the one hand, it could persuade judges to throw out cases (for and against gay rights) saying that this is a matter for legislatures to decide. On the other hand, judges usually do not like to contravene what they see as accepted social mores. A lot of judges see that those mores (at least for the legitimacy of same-sex relations) are changing rapidly. New York's decision could add great weight and critical mass to that recognition.
I wouldn't put the champagne away yet in California.
Yes but there are 2 issues in CA. One is the obvious issue of Judge Walker's finding that Prop8 is unconstitutional. There's Probably a good chance the 9th circuit panel would uphold. Then it likely goes to the 9th en banc before SCOTUS. That will take years and so talk of champagne is very premature.
But none of that happens unless the CA supremes answers the question under state law of whether the Prop8 supporters have the right as injured parties who do not represent the state, to appeal. If they give than that right it sets a really troubling precedent of legal freeforall in bringing suit over any law you don't like.
There's thus more to the prop8 case than equality.
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