Maryland Governor Martin O'Malley on
Monday evening introduced a bill that would legalize gay marriage in
the state.
O'Malley announced last spring that he
would include the legislation in his 2012 legislative package.
A gay marriage bill sunk in the
Maryland House of Delegates last year after clearing the Senate
floor. A campaign against the bill focused mostly on objections from
Christian conservatives.
Speaking Tuesday, O'Malley emphasized
that his bill strikes a “balance” between individual rights and
religious freedom.
“Yesterday, we submitted a marriage
equality bill which balances equal protection of individual rights
with the important protections of religious liberty and religious
freedom,” O'Malley said. “The momentum is growing, and there is
a lot of hard work to do. But we are going to be successful in this
legislative session by recognizing the dignity in one another, by
recognizing the common humanity that all of us share.” (The video
is embedded in the right panel of this page. Visit
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The bill (SB 241) is scheduled to be
debated next Tuesday, January 31 during a Senate Judicial Proceedings
hearing. Debate will be limited to 4 hours.
The measure was introduced with 20
co-sponsors in the 47-member Senate.
Meanwhile, supporters of a marriage
equality bill in Washington on Monday found their final
vote needed for passage in Senator Mary Margaret Haugen.
Hearings
on the measure were also held in Senate and House committees.