NY Gov. Paterson Pushes For September Vote On Marriage Equality

Gov. David Paterson will not relent on his demand that the NY Senate make a vote on marriage equality and now says he will push for that vote to be made during a special session in early September.

A spokesman for the governor said on Friday that the State Senate is currently not in the right mindset to take up the issue. The governor said he believes that marriage equality is an important civil rights issue and he will work with Senate leaders to move the process forward in the fall. While the newly-functional State Senate passed more than 100 bills overnight Friday, lawmakers did not immediately take up more controversial measures like mayoral control of city schools or a bill allowing same-sex marriage. On Thursday, State Senator Pedro Espada Jr. ended the month-long Senate stalemate the same way he started it, by switching sides. By rejoining the Democratic party, Espada restored the Senate's Democratic majority of 32-30. Under the Senate's new agreement, Espada is now senate majority leader, former Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith remains Senate president and Senator John Sampson became the Democratic conference leader.

IF the vote happens during this special session and IF we get a win, does the state Assembly's approval of same-sex marriage back in May count as having occurred within the same legislative session?