Maryland's same-sex marriage legislation hit an unexpected roadblock Tuesday morning when two delegates who had expressed support for the bill failed to show up for a committee vote."Still a possibility"? "See if we can round up 12 votes"? What kind of games are being played in Annapolis?
Colleagues frantically tried to locate Del. Tiffany T. Alston (D-Prince George's) and Del. Jill Carter (D-Baltimore) for about half an hour before calling off a scheduled vote in the House Judiciary Committee. Both Alston and Carter are co-sponsors of the House version of the bill.
"It simply means the soup's not ready yet," said Don H. Dwyer Jr. (R-Anne Arundel), a staunch opponent of the bill, suggesting supporters were short of votes.
Del. Luiz R.S. Simmons (D-Montgomery), a bill supporter, said he believes there is still a possibility of securing the 12 votes needed to pass the bill out of committee and suggested the absence of his colleagues showed "dissatisfaction with the way this bill has been organized."
"We'll have to see if we can round up 12 votes," Simmons said.
It's ominous to see that quote from the face of homophobia in the House, Don H. Dwyer, Jr. The anti-gay forces are in overdrive. They're doing everything they can to block this bill. Everything.
Below are photos of the missing Delegates. If anyone sees them, please call the House Judiciary Committee.
Jill Carter:
Tiffany Alston:
