I mean talk about throwing a temper tantrum. There was no need for this. There was no legitimate cause for it. It was not controversial. Yet, there’s always that person at the party, right? The one who just has to lecture to the rest of us about their political correctness nonsense and how we’re all horrible for not being as humorless, angry, and absolutely wretched as they are. And then, there’s the person who is barfing up half their guts in the toilet because they drank too much. In New York, it’s the former, with Democratic New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo vetoing a bill allowing federal judges to officiate weddings because President Donald Trump appointed some to the bench. It was a bipartisan bill as well. Cuomo decided to be the Grinch here (via NBC News):
Cuomo’s justification for vetoing a bill that would let more federal judges officiate weddings: Some of them were appointed by Trump pic.twitter.com/RjchipPADE
— Bill Mahoney (@mahoneyw) December 21, 2019
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has vetoed a noncontroversial bipartisan bill that would have allowed all federal judges to officiate weddings in the state because some might have been nominated to the bench by President Donald Trump.
"I cannot in good conscience support legislation that would authorize such actions by federal judges who are appointed by this federal administration," Cuomo's veto message stated.
"President Trump does not embody who we are as New Yorkers," the Democratic governor added Friday. "The cornerstones that built our great state are diversity, tolerance and inclusion. Based on these reasons, I must veto this bill."
The legislation, sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Liz Krueger, passed the state Senate by a 61-to-1 vote. It passed the state Assembly by a 144-to-2 tally. Both the state Senate and the Assembly are under Democratic control.
Currently, New York law permits all state judges in their official capacity to preside over wedding ceremonies, although only certain federal judges — like those in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals and those at each of the state's federal district courts — are eligible to preside over weddings. This bill would have expanded the wedding authority to all federal judges, largely those from outside New York.
The state legislature should do the right thing and override this veto. They already have the votes; did you see those margins?