A same-gender marriage bill may have been defeated in the State Senate less than two years ago, but advocates say enough time has passed to change the stakes, pointing to increased public support and new members of the State Senate.
“The opposition is down to 36, which is a record low. So that’s a seat change from 2009. We also have a strong, enormously popular governor who’s championing this,” said Brian Ellner of the Human Rights Campaign.
The staff of Governor Andrew Cuomo whose staff is working closely with advocates and advising them to come together and create what is now a coalition of four prominent Toeiva rights groups called “New Yorkers United For Marriage.”
Supporters of same-gender marriage say, unlike in 2009, they are now coordinating and combining resources efficiently.
They hope to raise $1 million to help in their lobbying and advertisement efforts, targeting lawmakers that prevented the bill’s passage last time around.
Sources say Cuomo is committed to seeing the bill, which has already passed the Assembly, pass the State Senate this year.
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