Paterson's introduction of the bill to the legislature doesn't mean it will soon go for a vote. Even though it has enough support in the State Assembly to easily pass, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith has said he won't put a bill on the issue on the floor unless he knows all the votes are there. And gay activists, who are aggressively pushing to score more supporters from both parties, privately believe the bill isn't totally doomed. Now that Chuck Schumer is onboard for marriage equality, all state Democrats have received the message loud and clear that opposing it is no longer a tolerable position. But even though Chuck controls so much power (and money) in the state party, Dem opponents like Ruben Diaz Sr., Pedro Espada, and Carl Kruger aren't going to turn around in a month. It is likely they never will, in fact, and it might take their ouster to move forward on this front.