TRENTON — Senate President Stephen Sweeney said withholding his support for gay marriage last year was the "biggest mistake" of his political career. "I made a decision purely based on political calculation to not vote for marriage equality," Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said from the Senate floor. "I failed in my responsibility as majority leader to actually lead. I was wrong."...
State Senate President Stephen Sweeney is shown in this 2010 file photo. The Gloucester Democrat apologized today for not voting for gay marriage last year, saying the decision was a political calculation he now regrets.TRENTON — Senate President Stephen Sweeney said withholding his support for gay marriage last year was the "biggest mistake" of his political career.
"I made a decision purely based on political calculation to not vote for marriage equality," Sweeney (D-Gloucester) said from the Senate floor. "I failed in my responsibility as majority leader to actually lead. I was wrong."
The remarks came at the end of a floor speech in support of his controversial bill overhauling the state's pension and health insurance system for public workers. Sweeney said it would have been easier not to act on the pension and benefits question -- but he vowed he would no longer cast votes based on political gains.
"The time for political calculations is over. The time for passing the buck to someone else is over. The time for hoping a problem will resolve itself is over," he said.
Sweeney has previously said he regrets not voting in favor of gay marriage.
"One of the things I was told is your vote lives longer than you do," he said earlier this year in his Statehouse office. "I'll live with that mistake for the rest of my life."
A gay rights group praised Sweeney's remarks and said it is preparing to reignite its efforts to push for same-sex marriage in New Jersey.
"The world evolves, and our responsibility as advocates is not to hold grudges, but to pass laws," said Steven Goldstein, chairman of Garden State Equality. "Today we indeed have the votes to pass marriage equality in both houses of the New Jersey legislature. But we do not have enough votes, to be sure, to override Governor Christie's veto."
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer) introduced a bill last week that would allow same-sex unions, after a similar bill failed last year. Goldstein said today that "New Jersey will have to win marriage equality through other means" because of Christie's veto power.
In July, the state Supreme Court refused to hear a case in which same-sex couples asked for the right to marry, saying it needs to wind its way through the lower courts first. Goldstein said last week there will be an announcement regarding the court case "imminently."
Previous Coverage:
• N.J.'s gay marriage vote: Three spineless senators abstain
• N.J. Sen. Majority Leader says gay marriage vote would be irresponsible if passage unsure
• N.J. residents support gay marriage by narrow margin, poll says
• N.J. Democrats differ on whether gay marriage should be voted on during lame duck session