The New York Senate vote knocking down same sex marriage is one of the few times in Albany when the outcome of a vote wasn’t known before the measure went to the floor.
In New York’s Legislature, powerful majority parties tightly control all legislation, usually only allowing a bill to make it to a full vote after closed-door sessions guarantee the outcome. In some cases, the inevitable result is even announced days before public debate. A bill that won’t pass languishes out of sight.
But on Wednesday, the bill that would have allowed same sex marriage was defeated 24-38, a wider-than-expected margin that surprised sponsors, advocates and legislative veterans.