Maryland’s Senate passed a landmark measure Thursday evening that would allow same-sex couples to wed, pushing the controversial issue to the House of Delegates, which appears nearly evenly split on the issue.
The Senate voted 25 to 21 to approve the Civil Marriage Protection Act after two days of largely restrained and respectful discussion. Senators on both sides of the issue characterized the debate as “historic,” and many said they’d struggled with how to vote.
“I’m just thrilled,” said Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr.,the Senate’s only openly gay member. “I’m so excited that we were able to get this done.”
Discussion in the House of Delegates is set to begin Friday, with a committee hearing that could be far more rancorous than anything the Senate has seen.
(Source: raifontherocks)
