February 23rd, 2012
It’s on the governor for his signature.
The Maryland Senate passed HB 438, a bill legalizing marriage equality in the Free State, by a 25-22 margin after its third reading Thursday afternoon, sending the measure to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) for his signature into law.
Marriage opponents made six attempts to amend the bill, which would have forced it to be sent back to the House for another vote. The House last Friday very narrowly passed the bill, and opponents hoped that by sending it back, they could have a second shot at defeating it there. The bill finally passed after several filibuster attempts by Republican lawmakers.
The bill won’t go into effect until January, 2013, allowing opponents enough time to collect 55,736 signatures to place a referendum on the November ballot overturning the law. Polls show that such a ballot measure would be very close.
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TN
February 23rd, 2012
Let’s hope the signature collectors are very unorganized.
Jeff
February 23rd, 2012
Typos:
The the governor
Oppoents
Jim Burroway
February 23rd, 2012
Thanks. Sorry about that.
Mark F.
February 23rd, 2012
I hope we can get our first ballot win here. Then the last argument of NOM falls.
Theo
February 23rd, 2012
I think it was a mistake to push this in MD, a referendum state. I don’t think that the MD group is prepared to defend this at the ballot and I worry that we won’t be able to fight on 4 fronts simultaneously. When we were forced to fight 4 battles at once in 2008, we wound up lavishing massive amounts of money on CA and starving the other efforts in FL, AZ and AK. We lost all 4, even though AZ and FL were both potentially winnable.
What’s done is done, so we have to fight this now, but I think that WA and ME should get first claim on gay money and volunteer efforts. I am not sure whether MD or MN should come in third. We absolutely should not allow MD to become a sinkhole that takes money away from the more promising fights in WA and ME.
Lucrece
February 24th, 2012
Theo, Florida was not winnable by any margin. It passed as a supermajority, and somehow I don’t think you’re well acquainted with Florida’s redneck, Cuban American, and African American populations making a good portion of the voting Florida population.
The amendment passed even on the youth vote.
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I know this is also completely frivolous, but I hope the news cycle on Maryland lasts a bit longer. That governor is so dreamy….wouldn’t mind seeing more of his face in TV.
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