Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Defense of Marriage Act denies immigration by marriage for same-sex spouses.
While Maryland approved same-sex marriage in early November and licenses for those marriages will be available in many Maryland counties this week, the dream of marriage equality for some couples could end in separation by deportation, according to a recent Washington Post story. The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) defines marriage as "the legal union between a man and a woman" and effectively denies access to pension and inheritance funds as well as the legal right to immigrate via marriage. That could spell deportation for spouses in the U.S. on temporary visas. In fact, the article states that more than 36,000 couples face this possibility. Since the passage of DOMA, 10 states and the District of Columbia have legislated to allow …
Monday, December 31, 2012
Numerous key laws passed in 2012 by the Maryland General Assembly take effect on Jan. 1.
Same-sex marriage, a first-in-the-nation arsenic ban for chicken feed and a law designed to protect children's credit reports are among the Maryland laws taking effect on Jan. 1. Some, including the marriage law and a Baltimore City charter amendment, were passed by voters in November. Others tweak existing rules, like renewable energy credits and car insurance. Here are the key laws you need to know about that take effect, according to a Maryland General Assembly document. Same-sex marriage: The Civil Marriage Protection Act, passed in the 2012 session, petitioned to referendum and ratified by Maryland voters in November, takes effect as scheduled on Jan. 1. Maryland was one of the first three states to ratify same-sex marriage at the …
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Victors attribute the wins to Democratic Party dominance, among other factors.
Capital News Service A dominant state Democratic Party, a progressive electorate, a national trend toward socially liberal policies and the need for more revenue in tough economic times converged in Maryland to bring passage of same-sex marriage, in-state tuition for some illegal immigrants, expanded gambling and a gerrymandered political map, political observers say. All of Maryland's ballot initiatives passed on election night. "(Gov. Martin) O'Malley and the Democrats have complete control," said Blair Lee, political columnist at The Gazette newspapers. "The only (political) competition and conversation was among Democrats … the Republicans are almost now gone the way of the Whig Party in terms of influence and presence." In Maryland, …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
"Chefs for Equality" event will raise funds to support the campaign to win Maryland's referendum next month on same-sex marriage.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and "Project Runway" host Tim Gunn will be among the guests of honor later this month for an event to support same-sex marriage in a referendum vote in Maryland, reports The Huffington Post. Human Rights Campaign and food columnist David Hagedorn are co-hosting the $300-a-ticket "Chefs for Equality" fundraiser Oct. 24 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC. The event also features a special auction in which each table of eight will feast on a unique five-course menu prepared by a who's-who of DC chefs. Read more about it on The Huffington Post.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
The younger you are, the more likely you are to support same-sex marriage. What does this mean for Maryland?
Based on Maryland's age distribution and a changing national attitude on same sex marriage, one could expect–surprise–a close referendum fight in November. Earlier this week, you may have read that increasing acceptance of same-sex marriage is not the result of a nationwide change of heart, but because those opposed tend to be older and are literally dying off. A study by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life found that the increase of acceptance for same-sex marriage is the result of changing, aging demographics and "generational replacement," defined by Pew as "the arrival of younger, more supportive generations making up a larger share of the population." Nationally, 48 percent of Americans support same-sex marriage, up from 35 …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
In an interview on ABC News, the president says he supports same-sex marriage. The issue is likely to go to referendum in Maryland this fall.
President Barack Obama picked the day after a decisive vote in North Carolina to announce that his "evolution" on the issue of same-sex marriage was complete—he now supports it. In an interview with ABC News on Wednesday, Obama said: I have to tell you that over the course of several years, as I have talked to friends and family and neighbors, when I think about members of my own staff who are in incredibly committed monogamous relationships, same-sex relationships, who are raising kids together, when I think about those soldiers or airmen or marines or sailors who are out there fighting on my behalf and yet feel constrained, even now that Don't Ask Don't Tell is gone, because they are not able to commit themselves in a marriage—at a …
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Volunteers at polling places on Tuesday solicited signatures on a pledge to support the recently passed law.
In front of Robert Frost Middle School in Rockville, Sharon Vignati and Denise Woodard, armed with clipboards and pens, asked voters Tuesday evening to support an issue that wasn’t on the primary election ballot. In February, the Maryland General Assembly voted to legalize same-sex marriage. Vignati and Woodard want to make sure that stays in place. Opponents are attempting to collect 55,736 valid signatures from Maryland voters by June 30 to block the new law from taking effect on Jan. 1, The Washington Post has reported. If they get the necessary signatures, voters would be asked on the November ballot whether to repeal the law. “We’re asking people to sign a pledge that if it goes to the ballot, that they’ll vote not to let (the repeal…
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Cloudy skies, local crime, and a same-sex marriage update.
It's going to be cloudy but mild today, according to the National Weather Service, with a high around 54 and a low near 37. Car burglaries and a home invasion headline this week's police blotter. The House voted to pass Maryland's same-sex marriage bill, a victory for the measure's advocates, as a similar resolution failed in the House last year. Speaking of same-sex marriage, don't miss your chance to vote in our poll on the issue. Kensington Poet Laureate Richard Rice shared his latest composition here on Patch.
Friday, February 17, 2012
With the state Senate expected to pass the bill, and Gov. O'Malley expected to sign it, same-sex marriage may soon be legal in Maryland.
A same-sex marriage bill passed in the Maryland House of Delegates on Friday evening. The bill received 72 votes from state delegates (a minimum of 71 votes was needed), while 67 delegates voted against the bill, The Washington Post reported. The state Senate, which voted in favor of the bill last year, is expected to pass the bill again this year, "all but assuring the measure will be sent to Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) for his promised signature," The Post reported. The senate will likely debate the bill next week, The Baltimore Sun reported. However, "opponents are widely expected to launch a petition drive that could give Maryland voters the final say on the November ballot," The Post added. Seven other states currently allow same-sex …
Vote in our poll and share your views in the comments.
The Maryland House is debating a same-sex marriage bill today, and a vote could come as soon as tonight, the Capital News Service reports. Gov. Martin O'Malley has put his weight behind the effort this year, after the last session's bill died in the house. For its part, the Town of Kensington has already voiced its support for marriage equality. In 2007, the Town Council passed a unanimous resolution calling on the state's legislature to legalize same-sex marriage, and that resolution still stands. So, what do you think?
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