Wondering why there hasn’t been a vote on marriage equality in the State Senate yet? Well, the Republican caucus, which controls whether bills can be brought to the floor, has been holding it up. On Wednesday, they gave no reason for the delay, but late yesterday some members came up with an excuse: The bill doesn’t protect organized religions enough. The bill already bars such groups from having to perform same-sex nuptials if they don’t want to, or having to “provide accommodations, advantages, facilities or privileges related to the solemnization or celebration of a marriage.” It even bans civil suits against them on the matter, but the GOP says that is not sufficient.
From the Times this morning:
When asked by the paper what specific changes they were requesting, the Republicans didn’t supply any. It’s unclear whether Cuomo would offer to accept changes, since the legislative session ends on Monday and the Assembly has already passed the current bill.
Republicans Urge Cuomo to Alter Same-Sex Marriage Bill [NYT]
