Senate Passes Same-Sex Marriage Bill

The Maryland State Senate passed same-sex marriage by a 25-22 vote Thursday night.

The passage of the bill comes less than a week after the House of Delegates passed the identical bill.

The bill now goes to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature. O'Malley issued this statement upon the bill's passage:

“I’d like to thank Senate President Miller for his leadership and our legislators in the Senate for their hard work and their vote today for human dignity. All children deserve the opportunity to live in a loving, caring, committed, and stable home, protected equally under the law. The common thread running through our efforts together in Maryland is the thread of human dignity; the dignity of work, the dignity of faith, the dignity of family, the dignity of every individual. Thanks to our elected leaders, clergy and faith-based leaders, community leaders, civic organizations, civil rights groups, and citizens from across our State, Maryland will now be able to protect individual civil marriage rights and religious freedom equally.”

The law is expected to face a referendum challenge before its Jan. 1, 2013 start date, possibly ending up on the November ballot alongside the Maryland "Dream Act" that grants in-state tuition rates to certain illegal immigrants.

SENATE ROLL CALL

Montgomery County

Nancy King (D) Dist. 39 -- Yes
Karen Montgomery (D) Dist. 14 -- Yes
Robert Garagiola (D) Dist. 15 -- Yes
Brian Frosh (D) Dist. 16 -- Yes
Jennie Forehand (D) Dist. 17 -- Yes
Richard Madaleno (D) Dist. 18 -- Yes
Roger Manno (D) Dist. 19 -- Yes
Jamie Raskin (D) Dist. 20 -- Yes

Prince George's County
James Rosapepe (D) Dist. 21 -- Yes
Paul Pinsky (D) Dist. 22 -- Yes
Douglas Peters (D) Dist. 23 -- No
Joanne Benson (D) Dist. 24 -- No
Ulysses Currie (D) Dist. 25 -- No
C. Anthony Muse (D) Dist. 26 -- No
Thomas V. Mike Miller (D) Dist. 27 -- No
Victor Ramirez (D) Dist. 47 -- Yes

Howard County
Allan Kittleman (R) Dist. 9 -- Yes
Ed Kasemeyer (D) Dist. 12 -- Yes
James Robey (D) Dist. 13 -- Yes

Anne Arundel County
James Rosapepe (D) Dist. 21 -- Yes
John Astle (D) Dist. 30 -- No
Bryan Simonaire (R) Dist. 31 -- No
James DeGrange (D) Dist. 32 -- No
Edward Reilly (R) Dist. 33 -- No

Baltimore City
Catherine Pugh (D) Dist. 40 -- Yes
Lisa Gladden (D) Dist. 41 -- Yes
Joan Carter Conway (D) Dist. 43 -- Yes
Verna Jones-Rodwell (D) Dist. 44 -- Yes
Nathaniel McFadden (D) Dist. 45 -- Yes
William Ferguson (D) Dist. 46 -- Yes

Baltimore County
Joseph Getty (R) Dist. 5 -- No
Norman Stone (D) Dist. 6 -- No
J.B. Jennings (R) Dist. 7 -- No
Kathy Klausmeier (D) Dist. 8 -- Yes
Delores Kelley (D) Dist. 10 -- Yes
Bobby Zirkin (D) Dist. 11 -- Yes
Ed Kasemeyer (D) Dist. 12 -- Yes
Jim Brochin (D) Dist. 42 -- Yes

Carroll County
David Brinkley (R) Dist. 4 -- No
Joseph Getty (R) Dist. 5 -- No
Allan Kittleman (R) Dist. 9 -- Yes

Harford County
J.B. Jennings (R) Dist. 7 -- No
Nancy Jacobs (R) Dist. 34 -- No
Barry Glassman (R) Dist. 35 -- No