This interview was conducted yesterday:

A couple highlights from the transcript:

On the bad consequences of gay marriage: "We've seen this happen in other states that have [passed gay marriage], so we're not talking some fairy land, we're talking about something very real and we don't want to see this play out in New York state."

On if he would vote for a bill with new religious protections:

"Without those religious protections I would be an absolute NO and those other senators, I can't speak for them but I can tell you that without the religious protections from my personal perspective I don't see how the Governor gets it done. I've spoken to the Governor personally on this, his staff has come back and initially said those religious protections aren't important as you think..."

"Dotting those I's and crossing the T's is exactly what we're supposed to be doing as responsible legislators and you'll remember the whole "read the bill" that came out of of every tea party across America - it's kind of important ... a bill the Governor hasn't even release yet."

"Just like there are those on the right who don't appreciate those on the left who view it as a civil rights issue there are those on the left who are pushing this bill and advising the Governor who do not really pay respect to the fact that there are those on the right who view it as an affront to their firmly-held religious beliefs and I believe this Governor is in a position where he's being pushed from the left but he has to pay attention to those in the middle with commonsense and that's all that those religious protections would do and, like I said, I think there are other Senators who feel that those religious protections are extremely important."