Maryland Senate Debates Marriage Equality
Posted By Eric Ethington (Author) on February 24, 2011
Maryland- The State Senate debated marriage equality for over an hour this morning. They’re now on recess, but are expected to resume debate and possibly vote on the final bill this evening. Surprisingly, the best quote of the morning goes to the lone Republican supporting the bill.
Via The Advocate:
During the morning session, senators for and against the marriage equality bill presented their arguments. Speakers in support included Rich Madaleno, the first openly gay Maryland state senator, who spoke poignantly of what the proposal means for the two children he shares with his partner, Mark.
Madaleno told a story about parenthood in which his young daughter asked, “Daddy, will you hold my wishes for me?”
Sen. Bryan Simonaire, an opponent of the bill who tried but failed to advance an amendment Wednesday to exempt public school teachers from teaching marriage equality, continued with his dire warnings of “unintended consequences” if the measure is passed.
Also speaking in the morning session was Allan Kittleman, the lone Republican senator to break with his conference and support the bill. Kittleman invoked novelist Victor Hugo in calling the marriage equality bill “an idea whose time has come.”
Republican Sen Allan Kittleman
"Eric, trying to have this (civil rights) conversation with you is ultimately like trying to teach a pig to dance, it just annoys the pig. So Eric, sorry to annoy you."
-Paul Mero, The Sutherland Institute.
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