The same slog in the state Senate remains:
Privately, Sampson has told Republicans he has 25 or 26 votes (out of 32 Democrats), leaving him six or seven GOP votes short of passage. Sources say Republicans could deliver perhaps three or four, but only if Sampson guarantees at least 29 or 30 on his end. "If vulnerable Democrats are allowed off this vote, it's likely that Republicans will consider this a political issue rather than a vote of conscience. And then all bets are off," says a Republican source.