PHOTO: Maryland Senate Vote Board via Equality Maryland
Another day, another win for our side. The Maryland legislature has approved HB 438, the Civil Marriage Protection Act, after a 25-22 Senate vote. The House of Delegates passed the bill last Friday.
The vote makes Maryland the eighth state to approve marriage equality and the fourth state legislature to do so in the past 12 months.
Democratic Gov. Martin O'Malley has vowed to sign the bill "within a week" but significant obstacles remain, notes the Baltimore Sun.
Even supporters concede that the law will likely be petitioned to referendum, and they expect Maryland voters to have the final say in November. The legislation has an effective date of January 2013 — well after the November election. Recent polls have shown that Marylanders are evenly split on the issue, so it is difficult to predict what will happen at the ballot box.
Six states currently mandate marriage equality—Massachusetts, Connecticut, Iowa, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York—as does the District of Columbia. Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire signed legislation to make Washington the seventh state only ten days ago. That legislation is also expected is to head to the ballot in a voter referendum.
I am so happy to be a marylander today!!! I emailed my senator and rep to get them to vote for the bill and I am proud that we were able to get the bill passed. My senator did not support the bill and i will be doing my part to make sure that does not get elected again. i wall also be working to make sure that the bill is not turned over during the referendum.
Posted by: butchie | 23 February 2012 at 22:33
Hooray!
Posted by: Byron in PGC | 23 February 2012 at 23:31
Everybody should know it won't that easy. The poison pill in the legislation is the referendas clause into most state laws.
Congratulations on the victory of making it this far, but the next couple of months will be the proof in the pudding of the electoral weight of progressives in Maryland, especially socially progression amongst black Marylanders.
Posted by: kayman23 | 25 February 2012 at 11:02
VERY PROUD TO LIVE IN THE DMV AND THIS IS AWESOME NEWS. EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE SAME RIGHTS UNDER THE LAW AND MANY COUPLES I KNOW THAT HAVE BEEN TOGETHER THE LONGEST OR JUST AS LONG AS MY STRAIGHT FRIENDS ARE MY GAY FRIENDS. KUDOS TO MD!!
Posted by: BLACK | 05 March 2012 at 14:57