(New York State Assembly: where dreams are squashed.)
The man in charge of the Assembly floor in New York, Democrat Speaker Sheldon Silver yesterday put the big kabosh on the hopes of MMA supporters who were optimistic that the sport will be made legal in the Empire State this year.
Silver intimated to the New York Daily News that the bill may not even be brought to the Assembly floor for a vote before the current legislative session ends on June 20 because the support isn’t there, which is curious considering votes in the other levels of government have all swung considerably in favor of approving legalization.
“There does not appear to be widespread support in the Assembly for this legislation,” Silver said, ignoring the several outspoken Assmbly members who have voiced their support of the bill introduced by Democrat Assemblyman Steve Englebright.
Bill A04146A breezed through Senate voting a few weeks ago, the Assembly Tourism Committee voting this week and is expected to pass without issue through Assembly Codes Committee voting next week, so why not finally put it to an Assembly vote so we can see things done in a democratic manner (you know, since the Assembly is made up of a 94-58 Democratic majority) once and for all.