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发帖数: 4174 | 1 Posted on Advocate.com February 02, 2011
Key Md. Republican Backs Marriage
By Julie Bolcer
Allan and Robin Kittleman Sen. Allan Kittleman announced his support for the
marriage equality bill in Maryland on Wednesday, becoming the first, and
perhaps the only, Republican senator to support the measure in a move
expected to strengthen its prospects for passage.
The senator released a statement one day after publicly breaking ranks with
his Republican colleagues, who voted as a caucus to oppose the measure
pending in the state legislature. In the statement, he also announced that
he would abandon his proposal for a civil unions bill, a consensus attempt
he conceived last month that failed to gain traction among gay rights
activists and senators from either party.
Kittleman, the son of the late state senator and civil rights leader Robert
H. Kittleman, explained his decision in an interview with The Advocate.
“My primary goal was equal rights for same-sex couples,” he said. “After
four weeks of looking at [the civil unions bill] it was evident to me that
there wasn’t going to be any desire to go that way, although the folks knew
I was trying to do what I thought was best. I really am looking forward to
supporting Senate Bill 116.”
Senate Bill 116, officially called the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage
Protection Act, was introduced in the Maryland senate and house of delegates
last month. A hearing is scheduled for Tuesday in the senate’s judicial
proceedings committee.
Last month, Kittleman abruptly stepped down as senate minority leader over
disagreement with more socially conservative Republican colleagues about his
civil union bill. He anticipated he might be the only senator from his
party to support the marriage equality bill, although he cautioned that time
remains in the session to change minds.
”Right now I am not optimistic that there will be any of my colleagues in
the senate,” he said. “The only indication I have is that most if not all
oppose it.” |
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