Some good news from Maryland from HRC:
With the legislative session coming to an end (scheduled to end at midnight tonight), the Maryland House of Delegates voted on Friday, April 4 to pass two bills providing limited rights for domestic partners. The House of Delegates voted 89-45 to pass legislation providing hospital visitation and medical decision-making rights to domestic partners and also voted 86-47 to pass a bill adding domestic partners to the list of family members exempt from recordation and transfer taxes when added to the deed of a home. Both bills have already passed the Senate and will go to Governor Martin O’Malley’s desk.
The Maryland legislature has considered several LGBT-related bills this session, including a marriage equality bill, a bill prohibiting discrimination based on gender identity or expression, and other bills like those passed on Friday that provide specific rights for same-sex couples. HRC funded two lobbyists who have worked with Equality Maryland to pass pro-equality legislation, and to oppose a proposed anti-marriage amendment. The legislature held hearings on the marriage-related bills, as discussed here and witnesses explained how a lack of legal recognition of their relationships has had real-world consequences. Unfortunately, the marriage bill will not pass this session, but the legislation passed last Friday provides important protections to same-sex couples in Maryland and is a step on the road toward full equality.
Dan Furmansky, executive director of Equality Maryland, the state's largest LGBT civil rights group, said "It's good to see that LGBT Marylanders will get some of the legal protections they deserve. We won't stop until there is full equality, but these bills will provide important benefits right now."
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