MD: Legislative agenda looks full for ’08; marriage equality in question

Link: Business Gazette

Excerpt:

Weary lawmakers who left State Circle last week after a taxing 22-day special session won’t get much respite when they return to the capital in January for the regular 90-day session.

Equal rights for same-sex couples and repealing the death penalty will be back in the spotlight, even if some believe the measures may fall victim to the fallout from the special session.

‘‘A lot of folks have had to make some tough votes and the willingness to do more is going to wane,” said Del. Barry Glassman (R-Dist. 35A) of Churchville.

Although the dust has barely settled from the special session, advocates aren’t backing down.

‘‘The question of whether or not we’re able to pass the bill in 2008 is open-ended right now and there are some major obstacles standing in our way, but we have no doubt that marriage equality will happen in Maryland,” said Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland. ‘‘Eventually, all of the obstructions will fall by the wayside, whether it’s this year or in 2009 or 2010. We won’t go away.”

While resolving the state’s deficit now lightens the workload for 2008, Furmansky conceded that votes on taxes and slots may have expended too much political capital for some lawmakers.

‘‘The question is whether there will be concern that implementing taxes will create ire amongst the swing voters of the state and therefore cripple the General Assembly from moving forward on other issues that might tilt more to the left,” he said.

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[jw]