Two Victories on Marriage Equality
NEW YORK ASSEMBLY PASSES MARRIAGE EQUALITY BILL
Bill Heads to State Senate; Would Provide Marriage Equality for Same-Sex Couples Under New York Law
WASHINGTON — Today, the New York state Assembly voted 85 to 61 to pass A.B. 8590, a bill that would provide same-sex couples with the equal right to marry under state law. The bill now goes to the state Senate.
“We congratulate the New York Assembly for passing this important, fair-minded bill, and we also congratulate Empire State Pride Agenda and Marriage Equality New York for their hard work,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “We also thank Governor Spitzer for his leadership — this bill got its start when the governor followed through on his unequivocal promise to fight for marriage equality.”
Solmonese continued, “As I have been pleased to observe on more than one occasion recently, there is a steadily building wave of support for equality in more and more states, and we hope New York will add to that momentum by recognizing that all loving and committed couples deserve full equality under the law. This is about basic fairness for same-sex couples and their families.”
Already this year, legislatures in several states have taken a stand for equality for same-sex couples and their families. Last week, the Massachusetts Legislature rejected, by a 151-45 vote, a discriminatory proposed constitutional amendment that would have rolled back marriage equality in the Bay State. Earlier this month, California’s Assembly passed a marriage equality bill; that bill is pending in the state Senate. Earlier this year, civil unions legislation was signed into law in New Hampshire, while domestic partnership bills were signed into law in Oregon and Washington.
Last year, New York’s high court ruled against marriage equality in a 4-2 decision. The majority opinion in Hernandez v. Robles concluded that whether same-sex marriages deserve equal recognition “is a question to be addressed by the Legislature.” The court’s chief judge predicted in dissent that “future generations will look back on today’s decision as an unfortunate misstep.”
If the New York marriage equality bill is signed into law, New York would join Massachusetts as the second state to provide marriage equality for same-sex couples under state law. Ten states, plus Washington, D.C., now have laws providing at least some form of state-level relationship recognition for same-sex couples.