MARYLAND - The vote on marriage equality is one of the most controversial issues on Maryalnd's ballot. While same-sex marriage is legal in six states, including Connecticuit, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Vermont, and the District of Columbia, but Maryland could be the first state where the public votes it in to law.
In February 2012, the same-sex marriage bill was was passed by the Maryland General Assembly, but oppenents of the bill were able to gather enough support to get the bill placed on Maryland's November ballot to be approved or turned down by the voting public.
But with all of the political ads, and personal feelings about the issue of same-sex marriage, it can be difficult to hone in on what exactly is at stake.
According to Leah Reynolds, Managing Director of Salisbury University's PACE, a non-partisen organization that helps inform the community about hte political process and civic engagement said
" It talks about the union of same gendered couples to be entitled to have the same rights as heterosexual-couples do when they are married."
The bill would establish that Maryland's civil marriage laws allow gay and lesbian couples to obtain a civil marriage license, provided they are not otherwise prohibited from marrying.
An extremly polarizing issue, one argument against the law is that it goes against the religious beliefs of many citizens. A small source of relief for some, are the protections the bill gives to religious institutions who do not want to perform marriage ceremonies for same-sex couples.
The law "protects clergy from having to perform any particular marriage ceremony in violation of their religious beliefs; affirms that each religious faith has exclusive control over its own theological doctrine regarding who may marry within that faith; and provides that religious organizations and certain related entities are not required to provide goods, services, or benefits to an individual related to the celebration or promotion of marriage in violation of their religious beliefs."
Passage of the law could provide legal rights regarding health insurance, hospital care, adoption and other child care...also a point of contention with opponents.
"Marriage is the union of husband and wife for a reason. These are the unions that make new life and connect children to a mother and father," said Maggie Gallaher with the National Organization for Marriage "marriage really matters because kids need a mom and a dad."
Supporters of same-sex marriage argue against this type of thought, advocating that two same-sex parents can be just as effective as a hetero-sexual couple, but due to a lack of research, neither side can statistically back up their views.
But politics and personal beliefs aside, this legislation could mean a boon for the economy. After passing its marriage equality law in 2011, New York City saw a $275 million boost in revenue. And with Maryland counties along the eastern shore bringing in nearly 50 thousand dollars from marriage licenses and applications alone -- the state could stand to gain financially if the law is approved.
Marylanders will cast their vote on November 6, 2012.
Courtesy in-this-economy.com
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 WorldNow and WMDT. All Rights Reserved. For more
information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
