Despite approval in the Maryland Senate  and wide speculation that the more liberal House of Delegates would pass a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, the legislation has been sent back to committee. On Friday, Maryland’s House of Delegates failed to vote on the marriage equality bill, according to The Washington Post,  making it likely that the issue won’t come up again until next year.

Of course, gay marriage opponents in Maryland had plenty help defeating marriage equality. The day before the House was scheduled to vote on the issue, the anti-gay, deep-pocketed National Organization for Marriage offered $1 million to help unseat any Republican who pledged support to same-sex marriage and assistance to any Democrat who vowed to oppose the bill, according to The Baltimore Sun.

Maryland lawmakers who support same-sex marriage hope to take the issue up again in 2012.