A coup in the NY State Senate: Two Dems. defected, turning control back to GOP. This has major implications for marriage equality in New York.

Just got a call from a friend in New York who told me, "There's a coup going on in the State Senate. No one knows what's going to happen, but it's probably bad for marriage equality."

This is a major, unexpected development.

According to the New York Times, two Democratic Senators defected to the GOP today:

Democrats appeared to have lost their majority in the State Senate on Monday in what would be a stunning and sudden reversal of fortunes for a party that has controlled the chamber for barely five months.

A raucous leadership fight erupted on the floor of the Senate around 3 p.m., with two Democrats, Pedro Espada Jr. of the Bronx and Hiram Monserrate of Queens joining the 30 Senate Republicans in a motion that would displace Democrats as the party in control.

It was a noisy and acrimonious scene on the floor of the Senate as Senator Thomas W. Libous, a Republican from Binghamton and the party’s deputy leader, shouted for a roll call vote, and Democrats attempted to stall the vote by asking to adjourn the session.

All 30 Republicans stood with their hands raised, signaling a vote for a change in leadership. Mr. Espada and Mr. Monserrate joined them, each raising his hand. It appeared that Republicans had won the vote by a 32-to-30 margin. If the Republicans were to retake the chamber, Dean G. Skelos, of Long Island, would likely be the new majority leader.

The Times noted that it was not clear if the same-sex marriage bill was part of the reason for these defections. But, the defections do impact the chances of getting a vote on that legislation. The GOP leaders blocked a vote in the last session and, undoubtedly, would again.

Stay tuned. It's really never a dull moment in Albany.