Update of the NY gay marriage situation

I posted something yesterday about NY state passing regulations mandating that homosexual marriages occurring in other states be recognized as equal with legal heterosexual marriages. The following statement clarifies that this is in essence an unparalleled executive order from the governor. He is bypassing the legislature which just recently rejected a gay marriage bill. This paragraph is from a Family Research Council email update:

In New York, the judicial branch may have some competition in the race to redefine marriage. Gov. David Paterson (D), Eliot Spitzer's replacement, is inventing new policymaking powers for the executive office by issuing a statewide directive that same-sex "marriages" performed in other jurisdictions will be recognized in New York. Announced the day before California's Supreme Court ruling, the sweeping decision will impact as many as 1,300 rules and regulations "governing everything from joint filing of income tax returns to transferring fishing licenses between spouses." Under the order, same-sex couples who reside or work in New York will receive the same benefits as heterosexual spouses. Paterson described the decision as "a strong step toward marriage equality," instead of what it truly is--an attempt to circumvent the legislature and propel the state closer to gay "marriage" without voters' consent. Under Spitzer, a bill was introduced to legalize homosexual unions, but it never passed New York's Republican-led Senate. Paterson's office sees this as the next best thing. Although the order is the first of its kind in the U.S., other left-leaning governors will almost certainly follow suit. If you're a New York resident, please express your outrage by contacting Paterson's office at 518-474-8390 or by emailing him at http://161.11.121.121/govemail.