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Category Archives: New York

Empire State Pride Agenda Says Re-Electing Four GOP Senators Key to Passing SSM in Other States

December 26, 2011 – 12:00 pm

Ross Levi, executive director of the Empire State Pride Agenda, said gay-rights advocates would be working hard to get the four senators re-elected. He said their re-election would be important to the effort to legalize same-sex marriage in other states.

"As New Yorkers have seen loving same-sex couples getting married — and far from the world coming to an end and instead happy and stronger families — this becomes far less potent of a political issue," Levi said.

The senators received an influx of campaign cash from same-sex marriage supporters following the vote, and they have been feted at gay-rights events.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (10)

NY Marriage Flip-Flopper Sen. Carl Kruger Resigns, Pleads Guilty

December 21, 2011 – 11:30 am

Finally some remedial justice applied to Albany corruption:

New York state Sen. Carl Kruger has resigned the office he has held since 1994 and then pleaded guilty to participating in bribery schemes in which he accepted nearly half a million dollars in exchange for taking official actions, according to U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara.

"With Senator Kruger's guilty plea today, yet another lawmaker-turned-lawbreaker has now been removed from an undeserved position of power in Albany," Bharara said. "Instead of serving the people who elected him, Senator Kruger monetized his public office and served himself. The people of New York expect, deserve and demand honesty and integrity from their public servants. We will not pause in our fight to hold New York's representatives accountable for violating the public's trust, no matter how difficult the challenges presented." -- FOX New York

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

NY Post: SSM Flip-Flopper Kruger To Plead Guilty to Corruption Charges

December 20, 2011 – 12:30 pm

The New York Post:

Embattled state Sen. Carl Kruger is expected to plead guilty to a raft of corruption charges tomorrow after cutting a deal with the feds, The Post has learned.

... a guilty plea from Kruger — who’s expected to admit committing four felonies — would result in the Brooklyn Democrat’s automatic expulsion from the state Senate, where he’s served since 1994.

... Kruger, 62, was busted earlier this year in a five-year, “pay-to-play” scheme in which he allegedly pocketed more than $1 million in payoffs for peddling his influence in Albany.

Court papers say he sponsored legislation, attempted to allocate millions in pork-barrel funds and even wrote a letter to a federal judge in Buffalo in exchange for a “stream of bribes” from real-estate, hospital and beverage-industry interests.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, News, Same Sex Marriage | Comments Off

Village Voice: NOM is "Major Power Broker in Republican Primaries Across the Nation"

December 19, 2011 – 4:30 pm

Steve Thrasher of The Village Voice (a gay news site in NYC) acknowledges the effectiveness of NOM and our supporters (and the importance of marriage to GOP voters).

Of course he thinks what we're doing to protect marriage is "bigotry" but we and our supporters are used to hearing this attack by now:

NOM has proven themselves as a major power broker in Republican primaries across the nation. They have gotten every major and a few minor Republican candidates -- Romney, Santorum, Bachmann, Perry, Gingrich, basically everyone except for Ron Paul -- to sign their pledge. They have successfully brought their brand of bigotry out from the fringe in state battles front and center to the heart of the Republican party.

Second, it's interesting how mainstream the demonization of same-sex marriage is being played in Iowa of all places, one of the handful of states where it's been legal for a few years now. The bigotry isn't being soft peddled or hidden. Rick Perry is advertising his bigotry as a sign that he's "strong." Bachmann is telling gays they do have the right to marry...people of the opposite sex. [...] Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts who once curried support from gay constituents, doesn't seem the slightest bit embarrassed to have signed NOM's pledge.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, Marriage, Marriage Election Watch, New York, News, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (9)

Gov. Cuomo Mocks Marriage Supporters, Misrepresents Their Arguments to GQ Magazine

December 14, 2011 – 5:00 pm

As part of Governor Cuomo's victory lap for redefining marriage, he sat down for an interview with GQ Magazine, where he proceeds to mock supporters of marriage and mischaracterizes their arguments for preserving our marriage tradition:

GQ: And you got the [marriage equality] activists to work together—

Andrew Cuomo: Yeah. Because they were a fractured group. But I mean, you look at the injustice of the issue. [switches voices, mimicking the opposition] "You can't get married if you're gay." Why? "Well, because you're gay." And? "And, well, you can't make babies." That's the argument. Oh, really? So then we should change the law to say, "Only people who can and want to make babies can get married." So an infertile man can't. A woman who can't, she can't get married. People who don't want to make a baby, they can't get married. So let's change the law so it says, "Only people who can and will make babies." "Well, we don't want to do that. You can get married if you don't want to make a baby or if you can't--except if you're gay!" There's no logic.

Hat tip: HuffPo

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (48)

Which one should I cut?

December 13, 2011 – 1:18 pm

Dear Marriage Supporter,

Email Header Image

Please help us overcome a looming shortfall!

Increasingly virulent and frequent attacks from the same-sex marriage lobby have depleted our emergency funds, and we need your help!

As 2011 draws to a close, everyone at the National Organization for Marriage is excited about the election year ahead, which we believe will be full of huge victories for traditional marriage.

But unless we raise additional funds quickly, we will be faced with hard decisions about where to begin scaling back our efforts for next year. NOM does not have the resources to accomplish everything we need to do...and with the many new and critical marriage battles upcoming in 2012, this is the exact wrong time for us to have to scale back.

Friend, will you make one emergency year-end gift of $25, $50, $100 or even $1,000 if you can afford it, to NOM right now to help us eliminate our budget shortfall before the end of the year?

Simply click here and make the most generous gift you can right now.

We're in a position to overcome our financial shortcomings because a generous donor has stepped up with a pledge to match every gift between now and the end of the year up to $1 million. Your gift of $50 instantly becomes $100. A gift of $500 is worth $1000 to help protect marriage in 2012!

My staff and I just took a hard look at some recent projections about what the same-sex marriage lobby is planning to spend between now and Election Day, 2012.

And it is clear their entire strategy is to flood America's airwaves, mailboxes, and email in-boxes with vicious attack ads against anyone who stands in their way.

Their goal is gay marriage in all 50 states, and they will do whatever it takes—and spend whatever amount—to make that happen.

We have a plan to fight them at every turn, but without a significant year-end infusion of support, we may have no choice but to scale back our election year programs.

What should I do?

Should I abandon a state like Maryland, New Jersey or Rhode Island, where marriage is under fire?
Should I scale back our efforts to repeal same-sex marriage in a state like Iowa, New Hampshire or New York?
Should I stop our Washington-based lobbying efforts to protect the Defense of Marriage Act (there is new legislation to repeal DOMA) and just hope for the best?
Should I scale back our plans for the presidential election, letting President Obama off the hook for the lies he will tell on the campaign trail?

Obviously, I don't want to do any of that!

So please—right now—make the most generous year-end gift you can afford to NOM of $25, $50, $100, $500 or more so we can close our budget shortfall.

Thank you in advance.

Sincerely,

Brian Brown

Brian S Brown

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization for Marriage

P.S.I know we've asked a lot of you this year, and believe me, your generous help for NOM is greatly appreciated. We've done SO MANY good things together to protect marriage—society's most vital and enduring institution for good—from being destroyed.

But heading into the all-important 2012 election year, NOM is facing difficult decisions, and I am counting on your urgent help.

So please, double the impact of your gift by making one secure online donation $25, $50, $100, $500 or more to the National Organization for Marriage today.

Thank you and God bless you!

By Brian Brown | Posted in DOMA, Election Watch 2012, Iowa, New Hampshire, New York, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (8)

Urgent Opportunity To Let The People Vote On Marriage

December 12, 2011 – 8:00 am

Email Header Image

Dear Marriage Supporter,

A new development in Albany last week provides us a great opportunity to finally give voters the right to vote on marriage in New York. According to the New York Daily News, legislative leaders have agreed with Governor Cuomo to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot to expand casino gambling. If they can do this to support gambling, surely they can give the people the right to vote on marriage!

Please pick up the phone and call your state legislator to demand your right to vote on marriage!

Earlier this year our coalition pressed the Legislature to give New Yorkers the right to vote on marriage, just as voters in 31 other states have already done. The word we got back from Republican Senators was that it was too late to put something on the ballot.

With word now that the Republican Senate leadership has agreed to put gambling on the ballot, it's clear there is still time to put the definition of marriage on the ballot as well.

You can email your Senator or Representative here to demand that marriage be put on the ballot if there is going to be a vote on expanded casino gambling.

Please contact your legislators immediately—today—to let them know that you demand the right to vote on marriage. How much more important to New York is the institution of marriage compared to casino gambling! There should be no vote on casino gambling unless there is a vote on marriage.

Time is of the essence—please contact your legislators today.

The imposition of same-sex marriage in New York was a sordid, shocking story of betrayal, big-time money and inside power politics. Four Republican Senators—Grisanti, Saland, McDonald and Alesi—betrayed their word to constituents and abandoned their commitment to marriage. They all promised they supported marriage as the union of one man and one woman, and then when gay marriage backers waved around promises of campaign cash, they abandoned principle and grabbed the cash, switching sides to impose gay marriage.

And boy, have they grabbed the cash! A few weeks ago, billionaire investors and hedge fund managers held a $1 million+ fundraiser for the four Senators at a swanky private club in Manhattan. All four have seen their campaign accounts fattened with the largest of gay marriage backers—happy to pay off Republicans who abandoned principle.

But the GOP Four are not the only ones feeding at the trough of gay marriage fat cat contributors. Last weekend, Governor Cuomo flew to Hollywood, where he was feted at a fundraising event thrown in his dishonor by gay marriage supporters. The Hollywood glitterati paid upwards of $12,500 each to support Cuomo, who press reports say sees himself as a candidate for president in 2016. The Hollywood crowd see in Cuomo a new champion of liberalism, who they hope will push same-sex marriage at the federal level as well.

The other day a New York state judge castigated Governor Cuomo and the Senate, led by Republican Senator Dean Skelos, for the process they utilized to impose same-sex marriage. The judge, Robert Wiggins, sharply criticized Governor Cuomo for pushing through the legislation by declaring it an urgent necessity, and letting the Legislature avoid a requirement that pending legislation undergo a minimum three-day public inspection. The judge also ruled that a lawsuit challenging the law's validity could proceed, because legislators may have violated state open meeting laws in order to pass the bill.

Doesn't this anger you? It infuriates me that God's institution of marriage could be auctioned off to the highest bidder and trampled on by a Republican-controlled Senate that disregards established rules and open meeting laws in their rush for cash at the end of the gay marriage rainbow.

But now, we have a chance for the people to reclaim our historic definition of marriage if we can force the Legislature to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. If they can put expanded casino gambling on the ballot, surely they can put the definition of marriage on the ballot as well.

Please don't let this opportunity go by. Speak out today with this clear message—no casino expansion on the ballot unless we get the right to vote on marriage at the same time!

Time is of the essence. It's time for all marriage supporters to come together to push for a vote for traditional marriage. No casino gambling vote without a vote to restore marriage!

Faithfully,

Brian Brown

Brian S Brown

Brian S. Brown
President
National Organization For Marriage

By Brian Brown | Posted in Let The People Vote, New York, Politics, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

Hollywood Hearts Cuomo: $500,000 Tinseltown Payoff for Gay Marriage

December 7, 2011 – 8:00 am

The Hollywood Reporter:

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo blew into Hollywood Friday for a fundraiser and left with at least $500,000 in contributions and the sort of rave reviews that bring press agents -- and political strategists -- to tears.

... Friday’s event -- dinner for 40 and a reception for about 80 guests -- was held at the home of interior designer and White House decorator Michael S. Smith and and his partner, HBO executive James Costas. The couple, who also maintain a residence in New York, also are major Democratic fundraisers, who have collected more than $1 million to support President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign.

... Attendees included: MGM co-chairman Roger Birnbaum, Chelsea Handler, producer John Goldwyn and his parter Jeff Klein, who owns the Sunset Tower Hotel, Hard Rock Cafe owner Peter Mortin, Cynthia Sikes Yorkin, Vanessa Williams, Los Angeles City Controller and mayoral candidate Wendy Greuel, Occidental Petroleum CEO Ray Irani, director James Burrows, and producer Jennifer Todd.

By NOM Staff | Posted in California, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (2)

Flip-Flopping Sen. Grisanti Top Democrat Target in 2012

December 5, 2011 – 1:30 pm

The Buffalo News Politics Now blog:

A Buffalo attorney with strong ties to the Democratic organization established by former Assemblyman Sam Hoyt is polling voters in the 60th Senate District as he explores a candidacy against Republican incumbent Mark J. Grisanti.

Mark P. Panepinto, 47, said he hopes polling results available next week will expedite a process that could lead to his entrance into next November's contest. Grisanti, who upset former Democratic Sen. Antoine M. Thompson in the overwhelmingly Democratic district in 2010, is expected to face a tough re-election challenge after committing to remain a Republican earlier this year.

... The Grisanti seat ranks as one of the top objectives of Senate Democrats for 2012, according to Sen. Michael Gianaris of Queens, chairman of the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee. He has visited Buffalo several times this year to lay the groundwork for the 2012 campaign, and has flatly predicted that Democrats will retake the seat.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Election Watch 2012, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (4)

Gov. Cuomo and Sen. Skelos Agree To Let The People Vote ... On Gambling!

December 5, 2011 – 10:00 am

We heard time and time again that the people of New York shouldn't be permitted a vote on marriage. Now Andrew Cuomo and the heads of both major parties in Albany are all in agreement: the people deserve to vote ... on casinos:

Legislative leaders are prepared to join Gov. Cuomo in rolling the dice on casino gambling.

A spokesman for Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos said the Nassau GOPer “is supportive of a constitutional amendment that will let the people decide whether to expand casino gambling in New York State.” Aides for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) said their boss will also support the legalization of casinos.

... The Daily News reported Thursday that Gov. Cuomo, in a jobs package he will unveil in the coming weeks, will call on the Legislature to approve the amendment.

If the Legislature moves forward, the soonest the public would have a say on a referendum is 2013. -- New York Daily News

By NOM Staff | Posted in Let The People Vote, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (8)

NYTimes: "After Pushing Gay Marriage, Cuomo Is Thanked With Money"

December 3, 2011 – 11:00 am

Thomas Kaplan of the New York Times, who quotes our own President Brian Brown:

In the aftermath of New York’s legalization of same-sex marriage this summer, gay men and lesbians lionized Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, showering him with gratitude, praise and awards. Now, they are rewarding him with something more tangible: campaign cash.

... The Los Angeles reception follows four fund-raising events in New York in the last seven months that drew heavily on supporters of same-sex marriage.

... The four Republican state senators who provided the critical votes to pass the marriage equality act have also raised money from the gay community in recent months. Opponents of same-sex marriage have fiercely criticized them for that fund-raising, saying the Republicans had sold out their principles for a promise of campaign contributions.

Brian S. Brown, the president of the National Organization for Marriage, which opposes same-sex marriage, said he did not have the same objection to Mr. Cuomo’s fund-raising, because the governor had made his stance clear. But Mr. Brown said that it was important for New York voters to know that Mr. Cuomo was “now getting his payoff,” and that the governor was eagerly raising money “on his radical social agenda.”

“Clearly a lot of money was at stake for Governor Cuomo,” he said. “He’s now trying to get as much money in his coffers for forcing this through as he can.”

Mr. Cuomo’s advocacy for same-sex marriage was so forceful that he is now being asked to defend his tactics in court; last month, a state court judge questioned what he called Mr. Cuomo’s “arm-twisting” of the Legislature on the issue.

By NOM Staff | Posted in New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (12)

New York Attorney General: Same-Sex Marriage Legal, Despite What Judge Says

December 2, 2011 – 11:00 am

Not exactly an argument - just a declaration:

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is confident New York’s same-sex marriage law is legal – despite what any upstate judge has to say.

Schneiderman said he disagreed with Tuesday’s ruling by acting Livingston County Supreme Court Judge Robert Wiggins - which allowed a lawsuit brought by gay marriage opponents to move forward – but has not decided whether to file an appeal.

“The important thing for everyone to make clear… is that the marriage equality law is validly in place,” Schneiderman said.

Wiggins, in his ruling, said arm-twisting by Gov. Cuomo “permeates this entire process” and raised the possibility that a private meeting Cuomo held with Senate Republicans prior to the marriage vote could have violated the state’s Open Meetings Law.

“We disagree with the court’s interpretation of the [law],” Schneiderman told reporters Wednesday.

“We’re reviewing the decision,” he added. “Exactly what we do next has not been determined, but I am confident that this will work its way through the appellate process and I’m confident that our position on the Open Meetings Law will be upheld.” -- New York Daily News

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (6)

Round-Up: Local and National Media React to NY SSM Ruling

December 1, 2011 – 3:51 pm

Here's a round-up of the first-round of coverage:

Reuters: The state’s Open Meetings Law exempts “deliberations of political committees, conferences and caucuses,” which the state argued included the Senate’s meetings with Cuomo. The Christian group said Cuomo's presence made the meetings distinct from legislative conferences…“Clear arm-twisting by (Cuomo) on the legislature permeates this entire process,” Wiggins wrote in a November 18 decision allowing the group to proceed with the Open Meetings claim.

WSJ: A state judge criticized the state Senate and Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the legislative process that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York and said a lawsuit challenging the measure could go forward, in ruling dated earlier this month.

Buffalo News: The judge said there could be a problem with a June closed-door meeting between Cuomo and Senate Republicans, which the plaintiffs -- New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms -- said was an arm-twisting session by the governor to get the GOP senators to back the bill.

NY Times: Harshly criticizing Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for the tactics he used to win approval of same-sex marriage, a state judge has ruled that a lawsuit challenging the enactment of New York’s Marriage Equality Act can proceed…Acting Justice Robert B. Wiggins of State Supreme Court in Livingston County, in the Finger Lakes region, wrote that it was possible that the Republican majority in the State Senate had violated the state’s open meetings law as it discussed whether to bring the marriage bill to a vote.

AP: A state judge has refused to dismiss a suit challenging the gay marriage law signed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo in June, concluding there is an issue whether New York's open meetings law was violated…New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms and other opponents claim the law should be nullified because the state Senate Republican majority met illegally with Cuomo behind closed doors, where Cuomo sought support before the critical vote that led to its narrow passage.

WHEC: A lawsuit filed by a Spencerport group challenging New York’s same sex marriage law will move forward…Livingston County Judge Robert Wiggins says the issue is whether the state's open meetings law was violated. The suit filed by New Yorkers for constitutional freedoms contends that Governor Cuomo and senate republicans broke the law when they held a closed door conference just before the bill won narrow approval in June.

WHAM: A Livingston County State Supreme Court justice ruled that a lawsuit challenging New York's same-sex marriage law can continue….New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms argue that lawmakers violated the state's open meetings law. The lawsuit alleges Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican lawmakers met behind closed doors to discuss the measure.

New York Daily News: “It is ironic that much of the state’s brief passionately spews sanctimonious verbiage on the separation of powers in the governmental branches, and clear arm-twisting by the Executive on the Legislative permeates this entire process,” Wiggins wrote.

Albany Times-Union: Wiggins, a Livingston County jurist, offers harsh criticism of the way things get done at the Capitol, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo's justification for issuing a "message of necessity" that rushed the legislation onto the Senate floor on the final evening of this year's session. Without that message, the bill would have had to age on lawmakers' desks for three days.

Baptist Press: New York law allows some legislative meetings to be closed, such as meetings that include only Democratic members or Republican members. But the fact that the meeting included members of both parties could have made it illegal, Wiggins indicated.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, Media, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (10)

Reuters: Judge Allows Suit Challenging New York SSM Law

December 1, 2011 – 1:30 pm

Reuters:

A conservative religious group may proceed with a lawsuit seeking to overturn New York's new law legalizing same-sex marriage, a state judge has ruled.

New Yorkers for Constitutional Freedoms, a non-profit advocacy group founded by Christian clergy, said that closed-door talks between Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican State Senators over the hotly-debated law, which passed in June, violated a statute requiring most meetings involving elected officials to be open to the public.

The state's Open Meetings Law exempts "deliberations of political committees, conferences and caucuses," which the state argued included the Senate's meetings with Cuomo. The Christian group said Cuomo's presence made the meetings distinct from legislative conferences.

"Clear arm-twisting by (Cuomo) on the legislature permeates this entire process," Wiggins wrote in a November 18 decision allowing the group to proceed with the Open Meetings claim.

By NOM Staff | Posted in Law, New York, Same Sex Marriage | Comments (1)

WSJ: Suit on Gay Marriage Bill Proceeds

December 1, 2011 – 12:00 pm

Andrew Grossman at the Wall Street Journal:

A state judge criticized the state Senate and Gov. Andrew Cuomo for the legislative process that led to the legalization of same-sex marriage in New York and said a lawsuit challenging the measure could go forward, in ruling dated earlier this month.

Opponents of same-sex marriage are suing the state, arguing that the steps the state legislature took before passing the law legalizing it in June were corrupt and part of an "out-of-control political process."

In the decision, acting State Supreme Court Judge Robert Wiggins rejected all but one of the lawsuit's claims: that a meeting between the state Senate Republicans and Mr. Cuomo violated New York's Open Meetings Law.

Spokesmen for both the state Senate Republicans and Mr. Cuomo declined to comment.