Today the Maryland House of Delegates voted to kill a bill that would allow same-sex marriages.
On a voice-vote motion, the House sent the bill back to the Judiciary Committee, with the understanding that it didn’t have enough support to pass on the floor, even though it cleared the Senate two weeks ago (on a 25-to-21 vote) and Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) had pledged to sign it:
Advocates for the bill had hoped Maryland would join five other states and the District in allowing same-sex marriages. The bill had significant momentum coming out of the Senate but ran into resistance in the Democratic-led House from African-American lawmakers from Prince George’s County, who cited religious opposition in their districts, and conservative Democrats in Southern Maryland and the Baltimore suburbs.
Orthodox. Faithful. Free.
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O’Malley said he’s “disappointed” by the decision. He said he expected the issue to ultimately be decided by voters and had hoped it would move forward to that end Friday.
I’m a bit surprised at the outcome today, but I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of it.