New York City Comptroller William C. Thompson, Jr. today issued the following statement regarding the recent enactment of a marriage equality law by the State of Maine:

“I applaud Maine Governor John Baldacci for his action today to support marriage equality. I have long been a proponent of marriage of same-sex couples to ensure equality for all. Same-sex couples deserve the same legal protections as heterosexual couples. Simply put, this is an issue of civil rights and same-sex couples in committed relationships should benefit from the same rights and legal protections as heterosexual couples. I am hopeful that our State legislators will follow the lead of other States, such as Maine and Vermont, and move swiftly to work with our Governor to enact the recently introduced marriage equality legislation so that all New Yorkers can have the freedom to live and love as they wish.”

In 2007, Thompson issued a report, Love Counts: The Economic Benefits of Marriage Equality for New York, which concluded that the legalization of marriage for same-sex partners could yield $142 million in economic benefits to New York City. That revenue wouldlargely be generated in the three years immediately following enactment of legislation, and would be derivedfrom the spending of residents and visitors on their weddings, along with the spending of their out-of-town guests.

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