Your MD State Lawmakers and Domestic Partnership Bills

From the Maryland Catholic Conference:

Voting records are now available online for two new laws, signed into law recently by Gov. O'Malley, that undermine the legal status of marriage.

Senate Bill 566 grants marriage equivalency to domestic partners for the purpose of medical decision making.

Senate Bill 597 grants marriage equivalency to domestic partners for the purpose of exemption from recordation and transfer taxes.

Please click here to see the grid of how your state lawmakers voted on both SB 566 and SB 597.


The grid can be searched by legislators' last name or district. Click here to find out what district you live in .


Once you find out how your state lawmakers voted, please click the link on their last names in the grid to e-mail them:


• If your lawmakers voted "yes" on SB 566 and SB 597, tell them that you're disappointed in their vote and encourage them to uphold marriage in the future.


• If your lawmakers voted "no" on SB 566 and SB 597, thank them and tell them you support their position in favor of traditional marriage.


However and most important, DON'T VOTE FOR THEM IN THE NEXT ELECTION! (This is my opinion, and not the MD Catholic Conference's -- but it should be!)



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Help defeat the Montgomery Country Gender Identity Bill 23-47 in November. Go to http://Notinmyshower.net.

Tell Governor O'Malley NOT to sign SB566 or SB597

Two bills that undermine the institution of marriage by granting marriage equivalency to unmarried couples in the health and tax statutes could become law as soon as May 13 unless they are vetoed by Gov. Martin O'Malley.

SB 566 and SB 597 are seriously problematic. Under the bills, any two people - same-sex, or of opposite sexes - can gain state recognition as domestic partners if they jointly rent a car, jointly rent an apartment, and sign an affidavit that they are in an "interdependent" relationship. There is no requirement that the affidavit be filed with any agency, or even notarized. Domestic partnerships can be dissolved merely by signing another affidavit. SB 566 and SB 597 allow those domestic partnerships to be treated the same as marriages in parts of the health and tax statutes.

SB 566 grants medical decision-making rights to domestic partners. However, those benefits are already available to ALL couples in Maryland through advance directives and powers of attorney. SB 597 exempts domestic partners and former domestic partners from recordation and transfer taxes.



Governor’s contact by email is: http://www.governor.maryland.gov/mail/

Governor’s contact by fax is: 410.974.3275

Governor’s contact by phone is: 410.974.3901 or 1.800.811.8336

Governor's snail mail address:
The Honorable Martin O’Malley
State House, 100 State Circle
Annapolis, MD 21401

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NB: I must issue a Mea Culpa for my negligence in not linking DC Catholic earlier on my site. The website has some nice postings on various issues affecting Catholics in the DC area.

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) .

Help Stop Maryland Senate SB 566

SB 566 equates unmarried couples with married couples

The full Senate is expected to vote no later than Monday, on on a bill that would equate unmarried couples, both same-sex and heterosexual, with married couples and undermine the current legal status of marriage.

Contact your State Senator and ask him/her to oppose SB 566.

Unfortunately, this is what Catholics get when they vote for pro-homosexual senators such as Sen. Richard Madaleno.

This is what the Maryland Catholic Conference (MCC) gets when they cozy up to a senator like him.

You get a slow erosion of basic moral values.