Following the ousting of disgraced former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for accepting illegitimate funds, it was largely believed to be a formality that mixed martial arts (MMA) would finally be legalized in the Empire State, the only one still left in the United States that to not allow pro MMA bouts. However, the UFC
Following the ousting of disgraced former New York State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for accepting illegitimate funds, it was largely believed to be a formality that mixed martial arts (MMA) would finally be legalized in the Empire State, the only one still left in the United States that to not allow pro MMA bouts.
However, the UFC had met significant resistance nonetheless, and that was mainly in the form of the issue actually being brought up to vote. It is believed that it will be brought to a vote — where it’s expected to be overwhelmingly approved — but that didn’t stop some of the NY Assembly members from taking some absolutely ridiculous stances on the sport today.
That was never more evident than when former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman, who has been heavily instrumental into MMA’s legalization efforts in his home state, posted a deserved response to a previous tweet by NewsDay Sports’s Mark La Monica describing the scene where Assembly member Daniel O’Donnell called MMA “gay porn with a different ending”:
We know from experience that dealing with government types is shady business, but when idiots like Bob Reilly continue to distort the truth and screw with the livelihoods of countless people in the process, it starts to grate on our nerves.
Reilly was front and centre in the news today telling anyone who would listen that, like he’s been saying for weeks, the MMA legalization bill in New York likely won’t make it to the Assembly floor for a vote because there isn’t enough interest or support for the bill.
“If something does not have the votes to pass, we don’t bother taking it to the floor,” Reilly said.
So rather than prove there isn’t any underhandedness in deciding whether or not there really isn’t enough support for the bill by putting the issue to a vote, the opposition Democrats like Reilly and Speaker Sheldon Silver are likely to stall the bill in the Assembly’s Ways & Means Committee. That kids, is how a bill doesn’t become a law.
(Video courtesy YouTube/StocktonHeyBuddy)
We know from experience that dealing with government types is shady business, but when idiots like Bob Reilly continue to distort the truth and screw with the livelihoods of countless people in the process, it starts to grate on our nerves.
Reilly was front and centre in the news today telling anyone who would listen that, like he’s been saying for weeks, the MMA legalization bill in New York likely won’t make it to the Assembly floor for a vote because there isn’t enough interest or support for the bill.
“If something does not have the votes to pass, we don’t bother taking it to the floor,” Reilly said.
So rather than prove there isn’t any underhandedness in deciding whether or not there really isn’t enough support for the bill by putting the issue to a vote, the opposition Democrats like Reilly and Speaker Sheldon Silver are likely to stall the bill in the Assembly’s Ways & Means Committee. That kids, is how a bill doesn’t become a law.
The bill didn’t even make it onto the Committee’s agenda Thursday, and with time quickly running out for the current session, Reilly is probably high-fiving his cronies as he waits for the inevitable to occur. If the bill isn’t voted on by Monday, it’s another year without MMA in the Empire State.
“All we want up here is a vote,” said Marc Ratner, the UFC’s Vice President of Governmental and Legislative Affairs. “We want it to get to the floor, and let the members vote on it.”
According to the bill’s sponsor, Democrat Assemblyman Steve Englebright, legalizing the sport will mean an economic boom for the State.
“The state is missing out on the revenue which we could use for many other things that we need this year, such as funding for our schools, universities, libraries,” Englebright explained.
Reilly, of course, puts a different spin on it.
“We are trying to eradicate violence in this state, not approve it,” said Reilly. “This is very harmful to the fighters, this is not going to bring money into the state.”
Next on Reilly’s agenda will be having movies, television, video games, hunting, boxing, hockey, football and pro-wrestling banned from New York.
In spite of the passing of a Senate bill last month to lift New York ban of mixed martial arts, the state’s biggest douchebag most vocal opponent Bob Reilly says he’s pretty sure that an Assembly vote on the matter won’t happen until at least 2012.
The bill, which was approved by a 48-12 margin last month by the lower tier of government is expected to pass it’s next vote June 7, pushing it on to state Assembly voting. If it passes another vote after that, the sport could be legalized following a mandatory 90-day waiting period, however that’s a big if, considering it sounds like Reilly is planning on dragging out the process into next year.
(“Excellent.”)
In spite of the passing of a Senate bill last month to lift New York ban of mixed martial arts, the state’s biggest douchebag most vocal opponent Bob Reilly says he’s pretty sure that an Assembly vote on the matter won’t happen until at least 2012.
The bill, which was approved by a 48-12 margin last month by the lower tier of government is expected to pass it’s next vote June 7, pushing it on to state Assembly voting. If it passes another vote after that, the sport could be legalized following a mandatory 90-day waiting period, however that’s a big if, considering it sounds like Reilly is planning on dragging out the process into next year.
Here’s what the old curmudgeon told The Business Review recently:
“It’s a dead issue for this session. There’s less than 10 days of session left, and I don’t think it’s sufficient time to vet this subject as needed.”
The current Assembly session ends June 20, which considering the issue was already brought to the table last year and all of the written materials from the senate presentations are readily available, shouldn’t take more than a few days, but Reilly apparently need more time to prepare his uneducated case against the sport.
It’s unclear whether or not the majority of Reilly’s fellow Democrat members of the Assembly (who outweigh the Republican side by a 99-51 margin) will back his anti-MMA platform.
The bill’s sponsor, Democrat Assemblyman Steve Englebright who chairs the committee on tourism, arts and sports development – the group that will be casting the initial sub-committee vote next week – says it could go either way.
“There is a healthy controversy. There are very concerned members of the majority who can’t support it this year, as they could not support it in years past. I imagine we’ll have similar blockage or stoppage,” Englebright says. “But, you never know. There are quite a few new faces in the chamber this year. I haven’t seen a sea [of] change, but I have seen subtle changes.”
Hopefully they’re subtle enough to beat Reilly’s personal vendetta against MMA.
(“Reach into my back pocket there and take out that envelope marked, ‘Housewarming gift for Senator Robach.'”)
State senators voted 42-18 today in favor of passing a bill that could lead to mixed martial arts being sanctioned in New York. The bill will now go to the New York State Assembly where a final vote on the matter will be cast by members of the group that includes opposition stalwart Bob Reilly.
(“Reach into my back pocket there and take out that envelope marked, ‘Housewarming gift for Senator Robach.’”)
State senators voted 42-18 today in favor of passing a bill that could lead to mixed martial arts being sanctioned in New York. The bill will now go to the New York State Assembly where a final vote on the matter will be cast by members of the group that includes opposition stalwart Bob Reilly.
To put things in perspective, last year’s New York Senate vote on the same themed bill passed with a vote of 32-26. Two other legalization bills have made it to various levels of state legislature before stalling for various reasons. The one last year was brushed aside by senate Democrats due to “budget concerns.”
The overwhelming majority of those in favor of the bill who spoke at today’s debate pointed to the increased safety measures that have been implemented since the introduction of the then-no-holds-barred sport more than 15 years ago, as well as the economic boost events will give the local economy across the state as the reasons why they supported the bill.
No date has been set for the Assembly vote, but even if it passes, a 90-day waiting period would need to be observed before an event could be held in the state, which means that it’s unlikely New Yorkers will be able to attend a show at home before the end of the year. Still, there is hope that we could see another of the few remaining holdout states approve the sport before 2011.
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