Another State with legislators who have sold out their constituencies. Watch for a massive "changing of the guard" in the Maryland legislature.
On Fri, Feb 17, 2012 at 7:54 PM, Tommy News <[email protected]> wrote: > Maryland House Approves Gay-Marriage Measure > By SABRINA TAVERNISE > Published: February 17, 2012 > > ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Maryland House narrowly passed a law legalizing > same-sex marriage on Friday, delivering a major victory to Gov. Martin > O’Malley, a Democrat, who had proposed it. But its implementation > remained uncertain as its opponents promised to take it to voters in > November. > > The bill, known as the Civil Marriage Protection Act, squeaked by in a > 71-to-67 vote, drawing loud applause and cheers from proponents in the > House. A similar bill had failed in the chamber last year. The measure > still faces a vote in the Senate, where it is expected to pass, before > Gov. Martin O’Malley, a Democrat who proposed it, can sign it into > law. But opponents have pledged to put in on the ballot for a vote on > Nov. 6, a prospect that the bill’s supporters acknowledge is > practically a foregone conclusion. > > The vote, said Anthony O’Donnell, a Republican, the minority leader, > amounted to “beginning a process, not ending a process. The citizens > of Maryland will have the final say.” > > The debate stretched for hours in the 18th century, wooden-domed > statehouse, and was punctuated by emotional entreaties by supporters > of the bill, including several gay and lesbian delegates, who talked > about their own lives, and other delegates who invoked Jim Crow laws. > > “This is the civil rights issue of our generation,” said Keiffer J. > Mitchell Jr., a Democrat from Baltimore. “I’m overwhelmed,” said Luke > Clippinger, one of the seven openly gay members of the Maryland House. > “My voice is still breaking.” > > When asked what the vote meant to him, he said, “It means I’m here.” > > After the vote, lawmakers who voted for the bill — mostly Democrats — > gathered outside the chamber cheering and hugging one another. Soon > after, Governor O’Malley arrived, striding into the crowd in a light > blue shirt and blue tie, congratulating the delegates, and embracing > Mr. Clippinger. > > The bill’s passage would make Maryland the ninth state to allow gay > and lesbian couples to marry. It comes one day after New Jersey’s > legislature passed a similar bill, though it was promptly vetoed by > that state’s governor. New York State legalized same-sex marriage last > year, and this month Washington state did so. > > In order to be palatable to delegates who were undecided, the bill was > amended so that it would not take effect until Jan. 1, 2013, in order > to allow the ballot process to take its course. Though Maryland is a > heavily Democratic state, the party is sharply divided on the issue of > same-sex marriage. > > Of 98 Democrats in the House, as many as 30 — mostly more-conservative > Democrats, known as Blue Dogs, and African-Americans from districts > where churches are strong — had been undecided. > > The bill’s passage was made possible by two Republicans, two Blue Dog > Democrats, and two African-American delegates, none of whom were > initially supportive. In interviews, several of those delegates said > that a key change from last year that won their support was language > protecting religious institutions from being forced to perform > marriages, among other things. > > “People believe that it’s a sin for a homosexual to be married, but > who are they to judge?” said Robert Costa, one of the Republicans who > voted for the bill. “It’s up to God, not government.” > > John Olszewski, a Democrat who was initially opposed to the > legislation, said the religious exemptions made him feel comfortable > enough to vote for the bill. > > “Denying basic rights to folks just isn’t the right thing for us to be > doing,” he said. > > Several delegates said they had been warned by powerful parts of their > constituencies that a yes vote would cost them in the next election, > scheduled for 2014. Among them, Mr. Mitchell said it was a risk he was > willing to take. > > “I’ve heard all types of threats, that in 2014 at the ballot box, > there would be revenge,” he said. “But when that day comes, I know > that for the seven openly gay colleagues, if they are able to have the > same rights as my wife and I have, then I know that my green vote was > the right vote.” > > Opponents to the measure said they were confident they could gather > enough signatures — equal to 3 percent of all the votes in the last > election, or about 55,000 — needed to place it on the ballot. If the > referendum is successful, it would effectively repeal the bill. > > A Washington Post poll published on Jan. 30 found that 50 percent of > Marylanders supported allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry while > 44 percent were opposed. > > “This will go to the people, and the people will make the decision,” > said Pat McDonough, a Republican who voted against the bill. > > Democrats argued that the bill should not go to a referendum, saying > that an issue of civil liberties should not be decided by the > majority. They said that integration probably would not have happened > at the time, if left up to a popular vote. > > More: > > http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/18/us/maryland-house-approves-gay-marriage-measure.html > > -- > Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. > Have a great day, > Tommy > > > > -- > Together, we can change the world, one mind at a time. > Have a great day, > Tommy > > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more.
