In the wake of several membership changes on the legislature’s Judicial Proceedings Committee, Maryland appears poised to approve the legal recognition of same-sex marriage, possibly as early as next year, according to The Washington Post. A majority of senators on that committee now support legislation that would legalize gay marriage. Additionally, Democrats gained two Senate seats after the Nov. 2 election, which bodes well for supporters of marriage equality.
“This has truly been a transformative election on this issue,” Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. (D-Montgomery), an openly gay lawmaker who has sponsored marriage equality legislation told The Post. “I could not have hoped for a better result. You can see a real path to enacting this legislation.”
The Post reports that leaders in Maryland’s House of Delegates believe they have the votes to approve the legal recognition of same-sex marriage during the upcoming General Assembly, which convenes next month, while Democratic Gov. Martin O’Malley has pledged to sign the bill.
If Maryland legally recognizes gay marriage, it will become the sixth state (in addition to the District of Coloumbia) to do so. Earlier this year, state Attorney General Douglas Gansler issued a legal opinion asserting that Maryland should recognize same-sex marriages performed in other jurisdictions.
