By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist

New York lawmakers are expected to resume pivotal talks today on a proposed same-sex marriage bill which is said to be hinging upon satisfying conservatives who want to see adequate protections for religious groups inserted into the bill before they will agree to vote for it.

The Associated Press is reporting that a deal is expected today between Senate Republicans and Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo that will insure that the state’s contentious same-sex marriage bill will protect religious groups from discrimination lawsuits if they refuse to allow their facilities to be used for same-sex weddings. If an agreement is reached today, the bill could come to the floor for a vote later today or tomorrow.

The Democrat-led Assembly is said to be ready to adopt the religious protections, but passage is anything but certain. Two Republicans remain undecided – Sen. Stephen Saland, one of the Senate’s most veteran and respected members, and Sen. Mark Grisanti of Buffalo, a freshman conservative who rode into office in the 2010 elections.

Although progress has been made behind closed doors in talks over the need for religious protections, OneNewsNow is reporting that Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos (R) who is opposed to same-sex marriage, says nothing has been finalized.

“That is still being reviewed,” he said.

Governor Cuomo, a Catholic, is still pushing for a vote, hoping to see the matter settled before the legislature breaks for the summer. “I believe the people are entitled to a vote and let the elected officials stand up and say `yea’ or `nay,'” Cuomo said. “I believe that’s how democracy works … I believe there will be a vote and I am cautiously optimistic that it will pass.”

Meanwhile, opponents of the bill are said to be cramming the halls of the State Capitol, with New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan being one of the most vocal critics. He continued his campaign against the law in this Sunday’s homily at St. Patrick’s Cathedral, saying that the Church’s opposition to same-sex marriage was not anti-gay but pro-traditional marriage.

Some people reportedly walked out of the Mass during his homily, but that didn’t phase the courageous shepherd of one of the nation’s largest Catholic dioceses.

“We’re used to that,” he told CBS New York. “People have been walking away from God’s law. They even walked away from Jesus so we’re kind of used to that.”

© All Rights Reserved, Living His Life Abundantly®/Women of Grace®  http://www.womenofgrace.com