Same-Sex Marriage debate heats up in Maryland

Both Washington state and Maryland will be considering the same-sex marriage issue yet again this winter. A report in today's New York Times suggests that the Washington legislature now has enough votes to pass the measure, making Washington the seventh state to legalize gay marriage.

Can Maryland be the 8th state?

A new report in today's Baltimore Sun outlines the specifics of the bill Governor O'Malley submitted to the state legislature last night. Included are greater protections for both religious leaders and institutions that oppose same-sex marriage. While there was strong support for an alternate bill in the Senate last year, the bill fell short of the votes needed to pass in the House of Delegates. This year O'Malley plans to be more active in the debate, leading the push to see the measure passed.

Stay tuned as both sides gear up for a battle in Maryland.

For more, check out coverage of the effort in The Washington Post.

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