By Dave Lucas
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-974330.mp3
Albany, NY – It's a waiting game at the New York State Capitol: Marriage Equality is being held up in Albany along with other outstanding legislative issues. Capital District Bureau Chief Dave Lucas has reactions from several groups on the delay of the vote on the marriage equality bill...
Religion has become a major factor as the effort to legalize gay marriage in New York continues down to the wire, with rallies and demonstrations taking place at the Capitol.
New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan blogged earlier this month that approving gay marriage is akin to a communist country redefining other basic human rights.
Some Senators haven't been able to make up their minds as to whether they'll vote in favor of marriage equality.
Greg Ball is an undecided senator (who represents all of Putnam County, northern Westchester County, and eastern Dutchess County) - Ball reiterated Monday that his vote depends on increased protections for religious individuals and businesses. He took to Twitter over the weekend to ask constituents how he should vote.
Ball's office tells WAMC that return tweets favor the bill, but many of those tweets are from outside the state and oustide the country. In soliciting his facebook friends, of which Ball has maxed out at 5-thousand, he has a 50-50 response. The office has been getting nearly 5-thousand phone calls a DAY regarding marriage equality, and about 60 per cent are against the bill.
Albany-area LGBT activist Libby Post thinks its healthy for both sides to air their views on marriage equality. Reverend Bill Banuchi is the Director for Marriage and Family Savers Institute in Newburg: his greatest concern revolves around what he calls "the fundamental issue of re-defining the word marriage". Observers surmise that Governor Andrew Cuomo would like to get Marriage Equality passed in time for President Barack Obama's visit to New York City this week for a first-of-its-kind 2012 campaign fundraiser with the LGBT community.