Maryland Senate Passes Same Sex Marriage Measure; Bill Now Moves To House Of Delegates Where Passage Is Uncertain

The Maryland Senate voted Thursday evening to pass landmark legislation that will allow same sex couples the opportunity to marry, sending the Civil Marriage Protection Act to the House of Delegates, where it appears to have equal support for and against, reports the Baltimore Sun. The Senate voted 25 to 21 to approve the act after two days of largely restrained and respectful debate. Senator Richard S. Madaleno Jr., the Senate's only openly gay member, said “I’m just thrilled. I'm so excited that we were able to get this done." Discussion in the House of Delegates is set to begin Friday, with a committee hearing that could be far more divisive than anything seen in the Senate, Delegate Don H. Dwyer, Jr., a chief opponent of the legislation, promised this week to "take off the gloves" when he discusses same sex marriage. His bill to ban recognition of any union not between a man and a woman is also slated to be heard Friday "The Senate has been congenial. The House is going to be a lot more volatile," foresees Delegate Keiffer Mitchell, a Baltimore Democrat and co-sponsor of the House version of the same-sex marriage legislation. "There are more personalities in the mix. I'm concerned about the tone." Proponents said the Senate vote would bring equality to thousands of gay and lesbian couples who contend current law treats them as second-class citizens. Opponents warned the bill would have unintended consequences, such as bringing a "homosexual worldview" into classrooms and diminishing the "sanctity" of heterosexual marriage. Opponents did not have the votes to mount a successful filibuster. At 6 p.m. Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Robert J. Garagiola, the bill's lead Senate sponsor, called for a vote to limit debate to one hour, a motion that passed easily with 30 votes. Final passage 30 minutes later brought applause from supportive senators. The prospect of legalizing same-sex marriage has dominated the General Assembly session so far, with several lawmakers predicting the vote would be remembered well after they retire. The measure gained momentum this year with the addition of two more supporters to the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, providing for the first time enough votes to bring the bill to the chamber floor. Governor Martin O'Malley, a Democrat, has said he will sign the legislation if it reaches his desk, which would make Maryland the sixth state to legalize gay marriage. The District of Columbia allowed same-sex unions last year. At least two other states are also taking up the issue. Approval in the House of Delegates, however, is far from guarantied. The bill in that chamber has 58 sponsors, and 71 votes are needed for passage. If it is passed, opponents will almost certainly petition for a referendum, which would give Maryland voters, the final say.