Wednesday, January 2, 2013
The Civil Marriage Protection Act took effect in Maryland Jan. 1, 2013.
One same-sex couple wed in Harford County Circuit Court on Jan. 2, according to Clerk James Reilly. David Wilhelm and Casey Annon were married at 1 p.m. in Bel Air, Reilly said, on the first day the courthouse was performing same-sex ceremonies. The Civil Marriage Protection Act took effect officially on Jan. 1, after Maryland voters upheld the law legalizing same-sex marriage in November. Since state offices were closed for New Year's Day, Wednesday was the first time couples could marry inside the Harford County courthouse. At least one other same-sex couple has married in Harford County. Havre de Grace City Councilman Joseph Smith and Havre de Grace native Don Starr wed in a Jan. 1 ceremony. Smith and Starr obtained their marriage …
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 …
Monday, December 10, 2012
Same-sex couples can apply for marriage licenses in Bel Air starting Dec. 12.
The Harford County Circuit Court will begin accepting applications for same-sex marriage licenses Wednesday. Gov. Martin O'Malley signed a proclamation enabling Maryland courthouses to issue the licenses last week so that same-sex couples could be legally wed as of Jan. 1, 2013, when the law recognizing same-sex marriage takes effect. Clerk James Reilly of Harford County's Circuit Court said his office had "some internal administrative things to take care of" before the change. "We could have done it as of Dec. 6 and some of the clerks' offices did," Reilly said, "but in Harford County, the software had to be changed." When language on Harford County's marriage licenses was revised from "man and woman" to "party 1 and party 2," the license…
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, February 23, 2012
Follow along with Patch and other area reporters as the Maryland Senate takes up the bill.
A bill to allow same-sex marriage in Maryland is now being debated in the Maryland Senate. Follow along with Tweets from Patch's Bryan P. Sears other area reporters, and join in with your thoughts. Listen to live Senate proceedings on the General Assembly website.
Friday, February 17, 2012
House Minority Leader Anthony O'Donnell says proponents have the votes needed for passage later this afternoon.
The Maryland House of Delegates appears poised to pass same-sex marriage legislation when it meets late Friday afternoon. "(Proponents) have secured the final vote," said Del. Anthony O'Donnell, the House minority leader. Del. Tiffany Alston, a Prince George's County Democrat who previously opposed the bill and voted against it in committee, emerged from House Speaker Michael E. Busch's office and later offered a two-part amendment. The first part prevents the law from going into effect if there is pending court litigation. A second part of the amendment would require judges to strike down the entire law should any part of it be illegal. "(Alston's) vote was contingent on the passing of that amendment," said O'Donnell. Following the nearly…
Xgay Greg
4:13 pm on Thursday, February 7, 2013
I used to be gay, but over SEVEN years ago Jesus set me FREE! I am now free from the sin of homosexuality. Marriage is between 1 man and 1 woman according to the King James Bible (Genesis 2:24) so I am now married and my wife is pregnant by me. What's really cool is that now my life is not focused on "ME" I actually think about other's. More to the point, it's not about "ME" at all it's ALL about… more ›