Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Married same-sex couples who reside in Maryland can file jointly in 2014.
Same-sex married couples in Maryland will be able to file joint tax returns but they'll have to wait a year to do so. Comptroller Peter Franchot said Wednesday in a statement that "same-sex couples in the State of Maryland – whether married in this state or in other states – will have the opportunity to file joint tax returns for Tax Year 2013, and will receive the same state tax treatment as any married couple." The comptroller issued the statement a day after a Washington Times story reported that same-sex couples in Maryland would not be eligible to file jointly. Franchot said the story "contained significant misinformation regarding the tax filing status of same-sex couples in Maryland." That story raises questions about Maryland's tax…
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
DREAM Act, expanded gambling and congressional redistricting also survive referendum challenges.
UPDATED (2:26 a.m.)—Same-sex marriage is the law in Maryland. The passage of the controversial law was the biggest win among a list of six other statewide ballot questions including the DREAM Act, expanded gambling and congressional redistricting that all also passed. Gov. Martin O'Malley took to the podium to address the Question 6 victory party at The Soundstage in Baltimore early Wednesday to chants of his last name. O'Malley thanked the crowd for all they had done "in this noble battle to move Maryland Forward." The governor praised supporters for all their hard work and for securing support for the controversial ballot question by talking to their families and their religious institutions. "You were carrying this banner of human …
Friday, October 19, 2012
CASA of Maryland’s advocacy for next month's referendum on same-sex marriage has sparked the ire of religious leaders
Polls say one thing, but religious leaders say another on the question of whether Hispanic-Americans in Maryland will support same-sex marriage in next month's landmark referendum. National and statewide polling of Latinos has shown a steady turn in favor of same-sex marriage. The Pew Research Center published a poll last week that shows “rapidly growing support” for gay marriage among Hispanics nationwide, with 52 percent for and 34 percent against. It is the first time that a Pew poll showed a majority of Latinos in favor of same-sex marriage. That support divides along religious lines. An April poll commissioned by the National Council of La Raza found that 79 percent of atheist or agnostic Latinos support same-sex marriage, 67 …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
How will you vote on the Congressional redistricting plan on Nov. 6?
In addition to more notable referendum questions such as same-sex marriage, DREAM Act and expanded gambling, Maryland voters will also be asked to decide the fate of the state's recently redrawn congressional districts. Earlier this week, Comptroller Peter Franchot announced he intends to vote against the maps and asked voters to do the same. The comptroller said the recent maps drawn by Gov. Martin O'Malley and approved by the General Assembly are unfair and make Maryland "the poster child for gerrymandering." A spokeswoman for the governor noted that the maps have survived a number of challenges in the courts and that the process used to create them is legally sound. Voters on Nov. 6 will be asked to vote for the referred law or against …
Thursday, October 11, 2012
"Chefs for Equality" event will raise funds to support the campaign to win Maryland's referendum next month on same-sex marriage.
Gov. Martin O'Malley and "Project Runway" host Tim Gunn will be among the guests of honor later this month for an event to support same-sex marriage in a referendum vote in Maryland, reports The Huffington Post. Human Rights Campaign and food columnist David Hagedorn are co-hosting the $300-a-ticket "Chefs for Equality" fundraiser Oct. 24 at the Ritz-Carlton in Washington, DC. The event also features a special auction in which each table of eight will feast on a unique five-course menu prepared by a who's-who of DC chefs. Read more about it on The Huffington Post.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
With two months until Election Day, a new campaign is launched to win two controversial ballot initiatives.
Casa de Maryland, the state’s largest immigrant advocacy organization, and Equality Maryland, the largest LGBT rights group, have forged an alliance to convince voters to approve same-sex marriage and to allow certain college-bound illegal immigrant students to pay in-state tuition. Dubbed “Familia es Familia,” the campaign launched Tuesday in Langley Park with advocates framing same-sex marriage and the Maryland Dream Act as kindred causes grounded in a family-first sensibility. The campaign will draw its persuasive power from the personal experiences of young, LGBT immigrants. Montgomery County Councilwoman Nancy Navarro told the story of her brother Pedro, who came out to her and her sister 17 years ago, reported The Washington Blade…
Monday, August 27, 2012
Same-sex marriage, in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, expanded gambling and congressional redistricting all come down to state voters this November.
With voters deciding four of Maryland’s most divisive issues, pundits and pols are bracing for an Election Day outcome the likes of which the state has never seen. The Nov. 6 ballot will feature seven statewide referenda in all—the most ever, reported The Washington Post. Those ballot questions were certified last week, to include: one question each for Prince George’s County and Baltimore County to require that orphan’s court judges pass the Maryland Bar, and a change in state law to accelerate the removal or suspension of elected officials convicted of crimes while in office. The other four ballot questions are expected to spur unprecedented electioneering by advocates on all sides: SAME-SEX MARRIAGE If gay couples come out of Nov. 6 …
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Maryland becomes eighth state to legalize gay marriage.
Gov. Martin O'Malley signed Maryland's same-sex marriage bill into law Thursday, drawing cheers from the crowd of supporters gathered in Annapolis, The Washington Post reported. Maryland becomes the eighth state in the country to legalize gay marriage, also joining the District of Columbia. The measure passed the House and Senate last month, and supporters expect the issue to face referendum in November. Its approval by voters would hardly be guaranteed, however, as an October poll found that Marylanders were about evenly split on same-sex marriage. The law will not take effect until January 2013. What do you think about the issue? Vote in our poll and share your views in the comments.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Lengthy debate, amendments expected Thursday.
The Maryland Senate has delayed its vote on same-sex marriage legislation until Thursday. The 47 legislators had planned to take up the bill, which was passed Friday by the House of Delegates, during their Wednesday morning session. The opponents said the procedural delay would allow them time to seek an opinion from the attorney general on several amendments as well as prepare additional amendments that could be offered Thursday. One amendment, offered by Sen. Edward Reilly, an Anne Arundel County Republican, would allow the law to go into effect on Oct. 1 — thus removing an amendment by Del. Wade Kach, a Baltimore County Republican, that set the effective date as Jan. 1, 2013. "It may look like a placebo, but this is really a poison …
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Equal protection under the law applies to everyone.
Readers of this column have heard me gripe from time to time, and for good reason, about the fact that Virginia cleans our clocks here in Maryland when it comes to creating a good business climate. True, they have created a more free-flowing economic and regulatory environment that allows them to basically beat us up and steal our lunch money when it comes to attracting and retaining good jobs and economic development. We can learn much from them. However, one look at their political climate is more than enough to keep me on this side of the Potomac for good. Why? When it comes to respecting the rights of all citizens, including those who happen to be women, born in another country or with a different sexual orientation, the Commonwealth …
bystander
10:42 am on Monday, December 24, 2012
I would bet most gay folks are against the idea (and even legislation) of several people entering into a marriage. Most Patch commentators proclaiming their homosexual partnership have been silent on defending this idea. Maryland should make people partnerships the same as corporate partnerships...any number of people and any gender. It removes the religion from the subject, which seems to have … more ›