New York Governor David Patterson announces introduction of marriage equality legislation

04/16/09 Press Release of New York Governor David A. Patterson:

New York Governor Patterson announced today that state Senator Thomas K. Duane will sponsor the Governor's "marriage equality Program Bill," which would "amend the Domestic Relations Law to give same-sex couples the opportunity to enter into civil marriages." A member of Senator Duane's staff just told that she expects the staff to post a link to the Program Bill next week at the legislation section of the Senator's website.

AP reports that the "proposal is the same bill the Democrat-controlled state Assembly passed in 2007 before it died in the Senate, where the Republican majority kept it from going to a vote." The 2007 bill was The Marriage Equality Act, A.8590, sponsored by New York Assembly Member Daniel O’Donnell. According to O'Donnell's 06/19/07 press release, the legislation would have established "equal responsibilities, recognition, benefits, and protections for all married couples, regardless of the sex of the parties to a civil marriage."

AP also reports that "Paterson, who is black, framed the issue in sweeping terms, invoking Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe and drawing a parallel between the fight to eliminate slavery in the 1800s to the current effort to allow gay marriage."

You can watch the Governor's announcement here.