Despite seemingly having enough support from the New York State Assembly, MMA opponent and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has torpedoed the bill to legalize the sport in the state. Silver, an opponent of MMA legislation, decided unilaterally that the bill didn't have enough support for it to go to a vote, despite a number of assemblymen and women present who were counted in support of the bill (a greater number than those opposed by 60-25). Silver claimed that there were private and absent voters opposed to the bill outweighing those in attendance. Though Silver's stance against MMA is softer than that of, for example, outspoken idiot Assemblyman Bob Reilly, it seems that continued pressure from the Culinary Workers Union, and possibly pressure from the old guard of boxing in the state, are leaning on Silver enough to keep the bill off the table. Based on the support among the Assembly, it seems likely that once the bill is up for a vote, it will pass--but it still needs to hurdle Silver and similar opposition. Mark Ratner decried the decision not to put the bill up for a vote as 'Unamerican'. http://mmajunkie.com/news/28599/report-mma-legislation-dead-again-in-new-york-assembly.mma
Jim Norton @JimNorton Sheldon Silver, that whore, hurt the UFC in NYC once again. Fucking embarrassing. I hope that twat never becomes mayor.
