Tag Archives: David Paterson

In the hope of breaking the deadlock in the NY state Senate, yesterday Gov. Paterson appointed former MTA chairman Richard Ravitch as Lt. Governor, the job Paterson held before the Eliot Spitzer scandal. Paterson said he appointed Ravitch because the leadership void needed to be filled. He said state law did not prevent him from making the appointment. “Today I …

Gov. Paterson has issued proclamations calling for the NY Senate to work every single day through this holiday weekend. Whether they’ll show up or not, who knows? Gov. David Paterson has elevated the Senate stalemate from a “conflict” to a “crisis.” The governor didn’t make much news today in his Red Room press conference, except to say that he has …

NY Daily News is reporting that Queens Democratic Sen. George Onorato may be ready to flip his vote on marriage equality to “yes.” Onorato’s Queens office has been the subject of a nightly vigil by equality activists. But the same NYDN story also expresses doubt that anything will actually happen in the state Senate today. Now the Senate Democrats are …

Marriage equality is finally, after months and months of wrangling, slated to be the very first bill to be voted on in tomorrow’s special session of the NY Senate called by Gov. Paterson. But Sen. Ruben Diaz promises to do something “big” to thwart the vote from happening. Even though the Senate has so far only passed five of the …

All we need now is a couple of bears on unicycles and a lady fired from a cannon. NY Daily News reports: Power-sharing talks have broken down and Senate Democrats have locked themselves into the chamber – the first time they’ve been in since the June 8 coup – beating their GOP counterparts to the punch in an effort to …

NY Gov. David Paterson said yesterday that he will make sure there is a vote on marriage equality in the state Senate before they break for the summer. Paterson is calling for a special session tomorrow, but said that marriage equality will not be on the agenda. The development came as the governor announced plans to call the Senate to …

New York Gov. David Paterson and NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg were only two in a galaxy of stars of stage and politics to join thousands of New Yorkers in today’s marriage equality rally just off Times Square. The event was seamlessly produced by Broadway Impact, who are due huge congratulations for pulling the whole thing off in just ten days. …

Yesterday NY Gov. Paterson called out religious leaders for opposing marriage equality, saying they do so because they feel guilty about not stopping gay bashing. Gov. Paterson said Tuesday gay marriage foes – including religious leaders – are driven by guilt over their failure to oppose discrimination and violence against homosexuals. Paterson told a gathering of about 2,000 gay rights …

The Empire State Pride Agenda’s Equality & Justice Day is underway in Albany, where thousands of activists are joining Gov. Patterson, openly gay Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell, and other pro-gay pols to lobby the legislature for LGBT rights. (Photo via HRC Back Story)

Just a few days after his press conference calling for an immediate vote on his marriage equality bill, New York Gov. David Paterson now says he’ll defer to Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith as to when to bring the bill to the floor. Sen. Malcolm Smith of Queens backs the measure but wants to first secure the 32 votes needed …

A new Siena Research Institute poll (PDF) shows that for the first time, a majority of New Yorkers support marriage equality. Suck it, Sen. Diaz! By a 53-39 percent margin, voters support the Senate passing a bill to legalize same sex marriages that would virtually ensure its becoming law. Democrats, independent and young voters, and women strongly support Senate passage. …

Former NYC mayor and failed 2008 presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani is defending all three of his traditional marriages and attacking Gov. Paterson for supporting same-sex marriage. Rudy Giuliani is declaring war on gay marriage — vowing to use his strong opposition of it against the Democrats if he runs for governor next year. The former mayor, in an extended interview …

Thanks to Andy Towle, we finally have video of openly gay NY Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell’s remarks at yesterday’s press conference announcing Gov. Paterson’s marriage equality bill. In 2007 O’Donnell successfully sponsored a marriage equality bill in the Assembly and is confident that it would pass by an even greater margin in 2009. O’Donnell: “I do not want a pew in …

Wingnut Pentacostal minister and NY state Sen. Ruben Diaz (D-Bronx) says he is planning a May event to call for the resignation of Gov. David Paterson over his support of marriage equality. Diaz: “We will bring out thousands and thousands of Hispanic evangelical Christians in the city of New York to ask Governor Paterson to step aside.” In the NYC …

From the hilarious World Weekly News: New York Governor David Paterson is introducing legislation today which would promote same-sex marriages in the state. Political insiders believe he is being pressured to do so by the Gay Mafia, based out of New York’s Fashion District. The Gay Mafia, or the Velvet Hand, has been a force in New York politics since …

Flanked by Mayor Bloomberg and NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Gov. David Paterson delivers a great speech in support of his marriage equality bill. Openly gay Assemblyman Daniel O’Donnell gave a fantastic speech too, I’ll try to find that.

At this writing, New York Gov. David Paterson is holding a news conference announcing the submission of his marriage equality bill. The Empire State Pride Agenda urges all New Yorkers to contact their representatives using this form and request that they uphold the American ideal of equality for all citizens. Do it now, please.

Anti-gay preacher and NY state Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. is positively freaked about Gov. Paterson introducing a marriage equality bill tomorrow and has called for an “emergency summit.” Oh noes! Homos! Elizabeth Benjamin at the NY Daily News: Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. has called an emergency summit of the New York Hispanic Clergy Organization tomorrow to strategize on the “next …

Over the objections of some legislators such as openly gay state Sen. Thomas Duane, who’d prefer to wait until we have the votes to win, NY Gov. David Paterson will introduce his marriage equality bill on Thursday. Mr. Paterson has said in recent days that the State Legislature should move ahead now with the legislation regardless of whether it can …

How about THIS for some momentum? Gov. David Paterson said Wednesday he plans to re-introduce legislation to make same-sex marriages legal in New York. The legislation is expected to mirror a gay-marriage bill introduced in 2007 by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who — with Paterson as his running mate — campaigned in 2006 on a platform that included marriage equality. …