Senate Votes to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage; Gov. Makes it Law
The New York State Senate voted Friday night to legalize same-sex marriage and the governor swiftly signed the bill into law.
New York is the sixth state in the nation — and the most populous — to legalize same-sex marriage. Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo had lobbied lawmakers to pass the measure, and signed it into law shortly after the vote.
Local Sen. Greg Ball, a Republican, was a no vote. The bill passed with 33 yes votes and 29 no votes.
An amendment exempting religious institutions helped clear the way for passage.
The New York State Assembly had already approved the bill.
Same sex marriage is legal in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, Iowa and New Hampshire as well as in Washington, D.C.
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.