The legal future of mixed martial arts in New York state appeared to take a negative turn Wednesday when Sheldon Silver, New York State Assembly Speaker and by most accounts the most powerful man in New York politics, told the New York Daily News that "widespread support in the Assembly for this legislation" does not exist.

The bill, which would reverse a 1990s ban on the sport, cleared the Assembly Tourism Committee this week by a margin of 16-3. It must do the same in the Codes Committee -- where it is expected to pass -- and Ways and Means Committee -- where it is not -- before hitting the floor for an up-and-down vote. In May, the New York State Senate approved a companion measure by a vote of 42-18.

Silver's assertion that the legislation does not enjoy widespread support among the Assembly is not "accurate" according to freshman Republican Assemblyman Dean Murray, of Suffolk County, an advocate for MMA legislation.

Murray confirmed he authored a letter signed by 60 Assembly members -- both Democrat and Republican -- that was hand-delivered to the Speaker's office and Ways and Means chairman Denny Farrell on Tuesday. The letter, Murray said, was drafted as a means to ask for an up-and-down vote on the MMA legislation, and to show Speaker Silver that "there is heavy support in his conference for legalizing mixed martial arts."

The current legislative session ends June 20.

Murray spoke to ESPN.com on Wednesday:

I'm assuming you saw Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's comment in the Daily News today. Do you have a reaction?

I know the Speaker is busy. I know as far as he's concerned it's not a top priority. We have a tax cap and rent control still on the table. Ethics reform. Same sex marriage. I know those are some of the issues that are important to him, so maybe he's not quite focused on mixed martial arts. If he was he'd know there's actually quite a bit of bipartisan support for this. In fact, I've done an informal head count in the Assembly and if it hits the floor today, it passes with 80-plus votes. That doesn't happen without a significant number of his members voting for it.

So then what's the takeaway from his comments? Will it hit the Assembly floor? Will it die in Ways and Means? That's the expected outcome.

Again, I've contacted Denny Farrell, who's the Chairman of Ways and Means. We had a nice discussion. All we're asking, both of the Speaker and Chairman Farrell, is put it for an up-and-down vote. Get it to the floor. If there's any question as to whether the support is there, we can answer that by putting it to the floor for a vote.

What's the hesitation to getting it to the floor in the first place? It always seems to die in committee. Why has it not been put up for an up-and-down vote.

That would be an answer only the Speaker can give because it seems to die when it gets to him. As far as his motivation when it gets to him, I don't know. There's a lot of speculation. One of the prevailing considerations is there is union opposition from Las Vegas. The powerful hotel workers union is against because of a squabble with the owners of UFC.

You're a supporter of mixed martial arts legislation passing in New York. Have you personally felt any pressure or lobbying from unions that apparently have opposition to mixed martial arts?

I personally have not had been contacted by anyone in opposition of it.

Have you spoken to any Assembly members who have?

No. We took it as a good sign when Assembly Keith Wright, who chairs the Labor Committee, circulated a memo throughout the conference saying he supports mixed martial arts. We took that as a very good sign that the union issue was secondary and has maybe faded out. Let me just say this, if it is the union issue that's holding it up, I find it deplorable that we're letting a union out of Las Vegas decided what is legal and what is not in New York

I've heard mixed things, whether the union issue is a red herring or that's reality. But the important point is whether Sheldon Silver allows this to hit the floor. Is that your sense of it?

Again, I read that comment. What I took from it -- and the last two days have been a whirlwind and next week we're going to be here working to the wee hours of the morning every night because we have so much work in front of us before the session ends -- this just isn't a priority issue for the Speaker. I'm sure if he actually did take the time and speak to a lot of the conference and his membership about this particular issue I think he'd be surprised how much support it has in his conference. I'm contacting his office. We're staying in contact trying to let him know he needs to take another look at this because we believe the support is there. And his members do want this to happen.

The reaction amongst the mixed martial arts community, particularly in New York, upon reading Mr. Silver's comments were "it's dead, now we have to look to 2012." Do you not feel that way? Do you feel there's a possibility to pass this year?

This is my message to them. This is Round 3. You're behind on the scorecards. But you're not down and out yet. So keep fighting. We've got a chance.

So bottom line as far as you're concerned it's not a dead issue, it's still possible, it's just a matter of what?

I have to be honest, if we want this to happen it's gonna have to fall on the shoulders of the Democratic Assembly members who in fact want this to happen. They're going to have a voice, speak out and say they want this to happen. The excuse is they don't have the support to make this happen. That's not accurate. They do in fact have the support.

Is it possible the MMA legislation is getting caught up in horse trading? Is politics happening here?

I don't think so. I think it's literally a case where it's not a priority for the Speaker. It's a priority for me. It's a priority for several other members. But not a priority for the Speaker. I get the sense he's just kind of ambivalent to it. The last word he got being whispered in his ear was there's a significant number of members against it. Hopefully we'll be able to enlighten him a little bit and let him know the majority of his members are in favor.

Have you spoken with him about the issue?

I had a brief -- and by brief I mean at most 30 seconds -- conversation in passing. I was running to the floor. He was running to his office. I just threw out a request: "Mr. Speaker, the bill is going to come up. Please let it to the floor for a vote." And that was it.