Maryland House of Delagates to looking to Erode Marriage

Maryland residents: Ask your delegates to oppose SB 566/HB 733 and SB 597/HB 746

Marriage would be seriously undermined if two bills are given final approval in the House of Delegates as early as tomorrow (Thursday).

The bills, SB 566/HB 733 and SB 597/HB 746, are on their way to the House floor for final votes. They have already been approved by the Senate, so this is the last chance to stop them from becoming law. Sb 566/HB 733 and SB 597/HB 746, while well intentioned, cement the term "domestic partnership" in law and grant such relationships marriage-equivalency status in certain parts of the law.

SB 566/HB 733 gives domestic partners equal status as married couples in the Health statute. The bill undermines the current legal status of marriage, and is not necessary to grant medical decision-making rights to unmarried couples.

In fact, the General Assembly already passed a law in 2006 (Senate Bill 369) that ensures advance directives are readily available to guarantee the ability to appoint medical decision-making and hospital visitation rights.

SB 597/HB 746 exempts current and former domestic partners from recordation and transfer taxes. This legislation is open to abuse because it grants tax benefits for domestic partners, but defines that relationship very broadly. Most importantly, though, SB 597/HB 746 undermines marriage by granting marriage-equivalency status to unmarried couples, both heterosexual and homosexual. This ignores the true nature of marriage and will discourage opposite-sex couples from marrying because they will be able to receive financial benefits without having to make a commitment.

Please ask your delegates to reject SB 566/HB 733 and SB 597/HB 746.

Then, let's remember who voted for this, and vote against them in the next election.

Taken from the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) .