Another victory in Annapolis! We figured it was imminent, and today, anti-gay legislators in the Maryland Senate tried to revive a constitutional amendment to ban marriage for same-sex couples. On March 1, the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 690, sponsored by Sen. Larry Haines (D-Carroll & Baltimore Counties). The Committee took no action, since a similar measure was already killed earlier in the session by the House of Delegates.

This afternoon, Minority Leader J. Lowell Stoltzfus (R-Somerset) attempted to petition the bill out of committee with signatures, but fell short of the 16 out of 47 necessary. Only the 14 Republican Senators signed the petition. Sen. Stoltzfus then resorted to another procedural move by making a motion to move the bill from the Committee to the full Senate for floor debate. Such a motion requires 24 votes. Senator Brian Frosh (D-Montgomery County), chair of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee, acted quickly. He made a motion to indefinitely postpone Sen. Stoltzfus' motion.

The vote in favor Sen. Frosh's motion was 26-21. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller (D-Calvert) ruled that the amendment cannot be brought up again this session. Seven Democrats joined all 14 Republicans in the attempt to revive the amendment.

Except for Sen. Leo Green of Bowie, every Senator from Montgomery, Baltimore, and Prince George's County voted not to bring the measure up again.

The Democrats who voted against us are:

PHILIP C. JIMENO
Democrat, District 31, Anne Arundel County
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3658 (toll free)
e-mail: philip.jimeno@senate.state.md.us

ROY P. DYSON
Democrat, District 29, Calvert, Charles & St. Mary's Counties
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3673 (toll free)
e-mail: roy.dyson@senate.state.md.us

NORMAN R. STONE, JR.
Democrat, District 6, Baltimore County
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3587 (toll free)
e-mail: norman.stone@senate.state.md.us

JAMES E. DeGRANGE, SR.
Democrat, District 32, Anne Arundel County
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3593 (toll free)
e-mail: james.degrange@senate.state.md.us

LEO E. GREEN
Democrat, District 23, Prince George's County
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3631 (toll free)
e-mail: leo.green@senate.state.md.us

JAMES BROCHIN
Democrat, District 42, Baltimore County
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3648 (toll free)
e-mail: jim.brochin@senate.state.md.us

KATHERINE A. KLAUSMEIER
Democrat, District 8, Baltimore County
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3620 (toll free)
e-mail: katherine.klausmeier@senate.state.md.us

IMPORTANT: CONTACT YOUR SENATOR IMMEDIATELY

If your Senator voted with us, please take a moment to thank him or her. Legislators truly appreciate the kind words and reinforcement of constituents like you who understand right from wrong. If your Senator voted against us, please also take a moment to express disappointment. Please do not be rude or threatening. You can look up a legislator's contact information here:

http://equalitymaryland.org/legislative/index.htm

Please also thank Sen. Frosh for working quickly to kill these mean-spirited attempts to write discrimination into our state constitution:

BRIAN E. FROSH
Democrat, District 16, Montgomery County
1-800-492-7122, ext. 3124 (toll free)
e-mail: brian.frosh@senate.state.md.us