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"The bill no longer represents my intent or my will," Dwyer said.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.