MONTPELIER — State legislative leaders announced this afternoon they intend to take up a gay marriage bill when the Legislature reconvenes in two weeks.
Senate President Pro Tempore Peter Shumlin and Speaker of the House Shap Smith said at a join news conference at the Statehouse that the Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a week of testimony and a public hearing on the matter. They predicted a bill would emerge from committee by week’s end.

The Legislature is on a two-week hiatus and will resume work March 17.

Shumlin and Smith also outlined a number of other priorities for the remainder of the session, including economic development measures. See Leaders vow to pass gay marriage bill BurlingtonFreePress.com

Four days after would-be State Senate Leader Malcolm Smith, a Queens Democrat, is said to have brokered a deal with three rogue Democratic senators who threatened to stand in the way of his party gaining control of the Legislature’s upper chamber, Smith remained unable or unwilling to explain if that bargain entails “postponing” a gay marriage vote in New York.

In a December 8 press briefing held to announce that Buffalo-area Senator Bill Stachowski would become the deputy majority leader and Albany-area Senator Neil Breslin the chair of the Insurance Committee, Smith, who is set to assume the senior Senate post of president pro tempore, took no questions, but instead abruptly departed for another meeting. Stachowski was left in front of reporters unable to confirm whether he would in fact be deputy to Bronx Senator-elect Pedro Espada, Jr. The NYSNYS News Service captured the incredible scene:

Video of the Democratic State Senate Leadership Announcement Malcolm Smith Abruptly Departed See Albany Press Corps Erupts Vs. Stonewalling Senate Dems Gay City News