NOM BLOG

Undecided NY Senator Ball: SSM Bill "Would Open Up a New Era of Lawsuits Against Individuals and Religious Organizations"

 

The New York Times is reporting on the "slipping" support for the bill among New York Senators who take the religious liberty of organizations and individuals seriously:

A senior Republican lawmaker from the Hudson Valley, seeking to balance religious liberty and gay rights, is emerging as a pivotal voice in the State Senate as Republicans debate whether to allow a vote on the legalization of same-sex marriage, lawmakers and advocates for the bill said on Thursday.

The lawmaker, Stephen M. Saland, 67, of Poughkeepsie, represents a traditionally Republican but increasingly diverse district, and advocates of same-sex marriage have long considered him a potential vote for gay marriage, even though he voted against the measure two years ago. But Mr. Saland, a practicing lawyer, is said to be concerned about the scope and the depth of protections for religious organizations in the marriage bill.

...Some potential votes for same-sex marriage appeared to be slipping away on Thursday. Greg Ball, a Republican senator from the Hudson Valley who had been heavily lobbied by advocates for the bill and Republican donors who support same-sex marriage, called Mr. Cuomo’s bill “an affront to religious organizations” lacking broad enough protections for religious institutions.

A minimum for serious protection would be to acknowledge and observe New York's 3-day rule for legislative language.

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