Majority of New Yorkers favor gay marriage, new poll finds
Posted: Mon Apr 20, 2009 3:45 pm
A majority of New Yorkers favor a measure pending in the State Senate to legalize gay marriages in the state, a new poll has found.
By a margin of 53 percent to 39 percent, respondents to the Siena College Research Institute poll believe the Senate should pass a measure introduced by Gov. David A. Paterson to let gays marry. Eight percent were unsure or had no opinion.
The poll comes as Senate Democratic leaders are trying to determine how to move forward on a new push over the past week by Paterson to legalize gay marriage; Paterson is pushing for a rare up or down vote in which the outcome is not necessarily known before the measure comes to the floor.
The Assembly already has been on record supporting the right, though it appears certain the Senate bill will not pass without Republicans crossing over to join Democrats, who control the house by a 32-30 margin but have several members, including Sen. William Stachowski of Lake View, who oppose the measure.
The Siena poll found support for gay marriage rights among Democrats, women, Catholics, Jews, and residents of New York City, the downstate suburbs and, by a 50 to 40 percent margin, those living upstate. It was backed most heavily by independents and those age 18 to 34, a subgroup that favored the right by a 71 to 20 percent margin.
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/645388.html
By a margin of 53 percent to 39 percent, respondents to the Siena College Research Institute poll believe the Senate should pass a measure introduced by Gov. David A. Paterson to let gays marry. Eight percent were unsure or had no opinion.
The poll comes as Senate Democratic leaders are trying to determine how to move forward on a new push over the past week by Paterson to legalize gay marriage; Paterson is pushing for a rare up or down vote in which the outcome is not necessarily known before the measure comes to the floor.
The Assembly already has been on record supporting the right, though it appears certain the Senate bill will not pass without Republicans crossing over to join Democrats, who control the house by a 32-30 margin but have several members, including Sen. William Stachowski of Lake View, who oppose the measure.
The Siena poll found support for gay marriage rights among Democrats, women, Catholics, Jews, and residents of New York City, the downstate suburbs and, by a 50 to 40 percent margin, those living upstate. It was backed most heavily by independents and those age 18 to 34, a subgroup that favored the right by a 71 to 20 percent margin.
http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/645388.html
