NY Republican Leadership Won't Pressure Its Legislators to Oppose Same-Sex Marriage Bill

As Unite the Fight has already observed, a shift in the GOP towards backing off of same-sex marriage opposition is small but growing. Yesterday's announcement from the Log Cabin Republicans that the GOP's New York leadership won't pressure legislators to vote against Gov. David Paterson's same-sex legislation supports this observation. This decision will allow legislators to give a "conscience vote," which contrasts the 2007 vote on identical legislation when Republicans were pressured to vote against it.

Jeff Cook, legislative adviser for the Log Cabin Republicans said this was "significant" that "the center of gravity in both parties has shifted on this issue to where Republicans now feel like their conference needs to be neutral and Democrats feel their conference needs to be emphatic in support."

The Advocate reports:

"The development may be particularly important in the senate, where Democrats hold a slim 32-30 majority, four Democrats have already said they will vote against the marriage bill, and equality advocates will need to pick up several GOP votes in order to pass the legislation. Strategists expect the legislation to sail through the assembly, which already passed an identical bill in 2007 by a vote of 85 to 61."

Here's to hope.