ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Lawmakers in New York go back to work Tuesday with the galvanizing issue of gay marriage still unresolved after more than a week of shrieking headlines and backdoor negotiations.
Politicians in this nearly 400-year-old city will bargain and bicker over a host of seemingly unconnected issues such as rent control for New York City apartment dwellers and a cap on property taxes.
Meanwhile, gay couples and other states watch closely for indications about which way the national debate is evolving over using the word “marriage” to describe the union between people of the same sex.
The key sticking point appears to be how much freedom to grant religious groups who protest gay marriage and refuse to perform services or provide related functions like wedding receptions.
