Senate committed to secret government

The Senate Democratic majority, as represented by gay-marriage sponsor Tom Duane and Leader Malcolm Smith, are spurning Gov. Paterson's call for them to introduce a bill legalizing gay marriage, even though all three men support such a bill. The reason is that Smith and Duane have not lined up in advance the votes to pass it, and are unwilling to introduce it on any other terms. In other words, they are absolutely committed to the Albany tradition that no public debate shall take place unless it's guaranteed to be meaningless, with the outcome having been decided in advance, in secret.

Comments

[Brian]

Is there a Senate rule that prevents you from re-introducing a defeated bill for the rest of that two year session?

If so and if Smith and Duane feel they are close but not there yet, then it would make sense to hold off in the hopes of getting those extra votes later on, since there are still 18 months left in this legislature.

If there is no such rule, then they should put the matter to vote and get people to be on the record as being against equal rights for gays in a state where 81 pct. of the people support some kind of legal recognition of gay relationships.