The New York State Assembly had passed a gay marriage bill before, but the measure always ended up dead in the state Senate. Today, that will change.

Sometime today, the NY Senate will vote during its special session to legalize gay marriage. The Albany Project has a look at where the votes might come from, since the measure is opposed by at least two Democrats, and possibly five, it will require several Republicans to pass. Supporters are confident that the votes are there.

Since this is a special session, the previous Assembly vote was inoperative and the measure needed to pass the chamber again. Mission accomplished last night, as the Assembly revote on it after a 1 minute debate. Two years ago, the debate lasted three hours.

This morning, the Senate passed the gay marriage bill out of its rules committee. There should be four hours debate on the measure later today. Once it passes, Gov. Patterson will sign it as quick as he can. He has been the main driver of making this happen this year. Assuming all goes well, he'll deserve a big part of the credit.

The best part? There are no citizen initiatives able to overturn this in New York. By the end of the week, we may have full marriage equality in New York, and done the way the haters claim it should be done -- not by judicial action, but by legislative action.

After California last year, and Maine this year, we supporters of equality certainly needed this, and it will certainly help kick start lost momentum. In New Jersey, the impetus for a vote this year had ebbed after the election, as Republican supporters defected in fear of teabagger ideologues. I'm hearing that up to five of the eight pro-equality Republican state Senators in the Garden State flipped post-election, enough to doom the measure. Still, over 200 prominent state Democrats signed a letter demanding a vote this year, while Gov. Corzine is still in office and able to sign such a bill into a law. Signatures included two US Reps (Rothman and Holt), Newark Mayor Corey Booker (a future governor and presidential contender), and some of the state's biggest Democratic donors. The letter has apparently worked, and gay marriage should get that vote.

As mentioned, the votes aren't probably there, so we shouldn't get our hopes up. Republicans are really fearful of primary challenges if they stray from party orthodoxy (remember the RNC's proposed litmus test), and there are enough Democratic bigots to likely sink the effort. But a vote will put everyone on record, and equality forces can begin targeting those elected officials who don't agree on civil rights for all.

So if all goes well, New York will have a marriage equality law by the end of the week (if not by the end of today), while New Jersey will be one step closer to that dream.

Watch the debate in the NY Senate here.