
Maryland Gay-Marriage Ban Killed
ANNAPOLIS, MD -- A Republican-led campaign for a
constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage in Maryland suffered a
major setback Thursday, when a House committee killed legislation that
would put the measure before the voters in November.
The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously against the proposed
amendment, with even its supporters voting against it after Democrats
amended the bill to allow civil unions with full marriage rights between
gay couples.
Republican
legislators said the fight is not over, and said they will continue the
push for the ban on gay marriage in the state Senate.
After the bill was amended, its sponsors, including chief Republican
sponsor Delegate Donald Dwyer Jr., removed their names from the measure.
"The bill no longer represents my intent or my will," Dwyer said. "Once
again, the Democrats have been up to their dirty deeds and have completely
reversed the intent of the bill."
Democrats said that they just wanted to follow the standard legislative
procedure and allow the bill to be voted on by the committee.
"We want the process to work as it's always worked," said Democratic House
Majority Leader Kumar Barve.
Same-sex marriage has become a hot issue of the
2006 election year session, following Baltimore Circuit Court Judge M.
Brooke Murdock's decision two weeks ago striking down the 1973 law barring
the issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
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