TRENTON — A much-anticipated vote on gay marriage in New Jersey has been put off indefinitely amid rising speculation that it would have gone down to defeat on Thursday.
The Marriage Equality Act was hastily pulled from the Senate vote schedule at the request of its sponsors, Sens. Ray Lesniak and Loretta Weinberg. Late Wednesday, Senate President Richard J. Codey, who controls the Senate agenda, agreed.
Proponents of the legislation, which would make New Jersey one of a handful of states to allow same-sex couples to marry, said they want the bill to receive parallel consideration in the Assembly, and give lawmakers more time to consider an amendment strengthening the religious exemption.
"They indicated they wanted more time to study the bill,'' said Steven Goldstein, chairman of the gay rights group Garden State Equality. "It's fine with us.''
http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20091209/STATE/91209209/Gay+marriage+vote+delayed+in+NJ+Senate