A bill to legalize MMA in New York "passed through the State Senate" for a "fifth straight year," according to Mark La Monica of NEWSDAY. The vote "in favor of the bill was 44-16" yesterday afternoon, "down from last year's 47-14 result." Bill No. S6502 now "goes to the Assembly, where it has stalled in one committee or another each of the past four years." The bill has "57 Assembly members as sponsors." The Democratic Conference of the Assembly will "need to agree to put the bill up for a vote before the entire Assembly," which is "where the bill stalled last year." Assembly member Andrew Hevesi last November said that the Assembly "abides by a rule that if there aren't enough votes to pass in the conference, the bill doesn't get brought up." Assuming the 57 sponsors "already attached to the bill vote yes, another 19 Assembly members would have to do the same for it to pass the Assembly and go to Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo for his signature." The legislative session ends June 19 (NEWSDAY, 5/14). In N.Y., Kenneth Lovett writes the bill is "probably facing another split decision this year." The effort is "likely to be knocked out in the Democrat-dominated Assembly" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 5/14). The AP noted the bill's "prospects remain uncertain in the Assembly" (AP, 5/13). MMAJUNKIE.com's Steven Marrocco notes Assembly Democrats for the past four years have "been decidedly less enthusiastic about MMA." A "revolving door of opponents has decried the sport's image and claimed it encourages violence against women" (MMAJUNKIE.com, 5/14).
