The National Organization for Marriage
recently commissioned Lawrence Research to conduct a survey of
opinions on gay marriage in Maryland.
NOM's
poll released Thursday found that 54 percent of self-identified
registered voters oppose lawmakers' plans to legalize the
institution, and only 37 percent approve.
A whopping seventy-eight percent of
those surveyed say the issue should be put up for a vote.
“The results of this poll strongly
affirm that we are on the right side of Maryland voters,” Brian
Brown, president of NOM, said in a press release announcing the
poll's findings. “Not only do voters support marriage by a
17-point margin, but they reject the Legislature's efforts to impose
this without public input. We'll continue to fight to block the
current legislation [sic] push in the General Assembly, but this poll
shows beyond any doubt that despite what the legislature does, the
people will have the final say, and they will support marriage.”
A
Maryland Senate panel approved the bill on Thursday and passed it
along to the full Senate.
In 2008, Lawrence Research was heavily
involved in the effort to get California's gay marriage ban,
Proposition 8, passed. According to records from the California
Secretary of State, the Orange County-based firm received payments in
excess of $528,800 from ProtectMarriage.com between July 30 and
December 17, 2008 for polling and research. Moreover, company
founder Gary Lawrence served as the grassroots director for the Yes
on 8 campaign organized by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, the Mormons. The church's members played a large financial
and organizational role in getting Proposition 8 approved.