Today, in response to news that the New York State Court of Appeals has declined to hear an appeal against the state’s Marriage Equality Act, Assembly Member O’Donnell stated:

This is a tremendous moment for our state. With this action, the Court of Appeals has struck a final blow on behalf of each our citizens to marry the person he or she loves. While I had no doubt that this appeal against equality for all was completely without merit, this decision puts an end to hateful discrimination and preserves this hard-won right once and for all.

Assembly Member O’Donnell was the legislative sponsor for the Marriage Equality Act in New York, leading the Act to passage five times in the Assembly before it was signed into law in 2011.