Now that Delegate Don Dwyer (R-Anne Arundel County) has failed in his attempts to ban marriage, civil unions, and legal relationships for same-sex couples in the Maryland Constitution, other legislators have jumped onto the anti-gay bandwagon by proposing narrower bans on just marriage for same-sex couples.  Senate Bill 690, sponsored by Larry Haines (R-Baltimore & Carroll Counties), will be heard before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee on March 1.  It is cosponsored by Republican Senators Colburn, Jacobs, and Mooney, and Democrat Senators DeGrange, Dyson, Jimeno, and Stone.

To read the text of the bill:  http://mlis.state.md.us/2006rs/billfile/sb0690.htm

SB 690 has been cross-filed as House Bill 1393 by Delegate Addie Eckardt (R-Cambridge).  HB 1393 is cosponsored by Republican delegatets Aumann, Boschert, Boteler, Cluster, Dwyer, Edwards, Elliott, Elmore, Frank, Gilleland, Haddaway, Impallaria, Jennings, Kach, Krebs, Mayer, McComas, McDonough, McMillan, Miller, O'Donnell, Shewell, Smigiel, Sossi, Stocksdale, and Trueschler, as well as Democrat delegates Donoghue, Rudolph, Weir, and Wood.

To read the text, visit:  http://www.mdarchives.state.md.us/msa/mdmanual/06hse/html/msa12216.html

If the amendment were to pass the Maryland Senate and the Maryland House of Delegates by a 3/5 vote of both houses, it would place the rights of all citizens up for a popular vote in the next election (November 2006).  If passed by a majority of voters, the amendment would strip full citizenship from LGBT Marylanders and their families and ensure that the equality provisions of our constitution and access to the judicial branch of government applies to everyone but them.

For talking points on these bills, click here.

Please take action on these bills immediately!  Click here to send your email.

Edit our sample letter below then fill out your name and address information to let your legislators know that that all families in Maryland deserve equal protection under the law.

Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,

I am a constituent and I urge you to vote against proposals by Senator Haines and Delegate Eckardt that would write one group of people out of the Maryland Constitution.

The Maryland Constitution has been amended 281 times. No constitutional amendment has ever been ratified that has sought to restrict the rights of one group of citizens.

This amendment tells one group of people that the protections of the Maryland Constitution are for everyone -- everyone but gays and lesbians and their children.

This amendment removes the power of the courts to protect individual rights for one group. It tells gays and lesbians that they must make due with two branches of government, not three.

One doesn't need to be comfortable with the idea of same-sex marriage to understand that it's morally wrong to change a constitution to limit the rights of one group of people.

I urge you to stand on the right side of history. Stand up for all families and all children. Please reject these bills.

Sincerely,

Campaign Launched:
February 21, 2006