Three Maryland delegates on Thursday
came out in support of Governor Martin O'Malley's plan to make
Maryland the eighth state to legalize gay marriage, WBAL.com
reported.
During a brief evening session, the
Maryland House approved an amendment pushing back the bill's
effective date to January from October. The move gives opponents
time to file for a referendum. Members then adjourned the session
until Friday.
A final vote on the measure could come
as early as Friday.
The amendment was introduced by
Republican Delegate Wade Kach, who announced he would be voting in
favor of the bill.
A second Republican, Delegate Robert
Costa, had previously announced support for the measure.
Democratic members Pam Beidle and John
Oslzewski also announced their support on Thursday.
Beidle said she still believes voters
should get the final say on the issue.
“I've never had an issue where we've
heard from so many people,” Beidle said. “I know this is a
representative government, but some issues are so important that
everybody should have a voice.”
Passage in the House is critical for
the bill to reach the governor's desk. A similar measure cleared the
Senate last year before the House shelved it due to lack of support.
Republican Delegate Don H. Dwyer Jr., a
vocal opponent of the legislation, told the Washington Times
that passage in the chamber wasn't assured.
“It's not over until the votes are
taken on the floor tomorrow,” he said. “So we'll wait and see
what happens.”