Cuomo Wants Marriage Vote By June

New York governor Andrew Cuomo gave his strongest indication yet on timing for the marriage equality bill, saying Wednesday that he wanted the legislature to bring the issue up this session, which ends in June.

Cuomo spoke with reporters following a budget presentation at Hofstra University, reports The Journal News.

"I want to see it become the law of the state of New York and we're going to take it up this session," he said.

The comments marked the most specific to date from the Democrat about a timetable. In his state of the state address in January, he called for the bill to be passed "this year."

The marriage equality bill has passed the assembly multiple times, but the measure failed in the senate in 2009 by a wide margin of 38-24, with no Republicans voting in favor. Senate majority leader Dean Skelos has promised not to block the bill from going to a vote.

According to The Journal News, when Cuomo was asked Wednesday what he was doing to get the bill passed in the Republican-controlled senate, he said, "We're working very hard to pass it."