the Governor came to the conclusion that passage of the bill during the lame-duck session was not feasible. When asked what would have to occur in order for same-sex marriage to be legalized in New York, Governor Paterson responded, "Get rid of the lobbyists", and added that same-sex marriage advocates had forced a Senate floor vote prematurely in December 2009. Marriage Equality Act On June 15, 2011, the New York State Assembly passed the Marriage Equality Act, a bill to legalize same-sex marriage in New York, by a margin of 80 to 63; this was a smaller margin of victory than three same-sex marriage bills had attained in the Assembly in prior years. In the Republican-controlled Senate, three Democrats and two Republicans who had voted against the 2009 bill indicated that their positions had changed and that they would support the legislation. The Senate passed the bill on June 24 by a 33–29 vote, with 29 Democrats and four Republicans voting in favor of it. Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Marriage Equality Act into law on June 24, 2011. The definition of marriage in the state of New York was amended, and the following language was added to New York's marriage statute: The law took effect on July 24, 2011. The Marriage Equality Act does not contain a residency restriction, as some other states do; also, it allows religious organizations to decline to officiate at same-sex wedding ceremonies. Reactions The bill's passage was celebrated by gay rights supporters both in New York and nationwide. The New York Times responded with an editorial backing the law saying, "New York State has made a powerful and principled choice." Gay pride parades in celebration were held across the United States. Gay rights supporters expressed a belief that the legalization in New York would lead to legalization elsewhere. The National Organization for Marriage pledged to spend $2 million in the 2012 elections to defeat the four Republicans and three Democrats who previously stated opposition to same-sex marriage but voted for the bill. The Conservative Party of New York said it would withdraw support for any candidate who voted for the bill. In addition to action from opponents in New York, the New York Times reported that the bill's passage spurred renewed activism from opponents in various places across the country. On July 12, 2011, the Town Clerk of Barker, New York, Laura Fotusky, resigned