Equality Act, which legalized same-sex marriage in New York. Saland announced that he would vote "yes" on June 24, 2011—the same day that the bill came to the Senate floor for a vote. Saland had previously voted "no" on same-sex marriage in December 2009. While speaking in defense of an amendment exempting religious organizations from recognizing same-sex marriage, Saland described his vote as a vote of conscience: "I have defined doing the right thing as treating all persons with equality ... And that equality includes the definition of marriage. I fear that to do otherwise would fly in the face of my upbringing". Saland was one of four Republican state senators that voted in favor of the Marriage Equality Act. Sources External links 1943 births Jewish American state legislators in New York (state) Living people Republican Party members of the New York State Assembly Republican Party New York (state) state senators Politicians from Poughkeepsie, New York 21st-century American politicians University at Buffalo alumni 21st-century American Jews