Monday, December 31, 2012
Numerous key laws passed in 2012 by the Maryland General Assembly take effect on Jan. 1.
Same-sex marriage, a first-in-the-nation arsenic ban for chicken feed and a law designed to protect children's credit reports are among the Maryland laws taking effect on Jan. 1. Some, including the marriage law and a Baltimore City charter amendment, were passed by voters in November. Others tweak existing rules, like renewable energy credits and car insurance. Here are the key laws you need to know about that take effect, according to a Maryland General Assembly document. Same-sex marriage: The Civil Marriage Protection Act, passed in the 2012 session, petitioned to referendum and ratified by Maryland voters in November, takes effect as scheduled on Jan. 1. Maryland was one of the first three states to ratify same-sex marriage at the …
Friday, December 7, 2012
Couples seek marriage licenses in the county within 36 hours of first day same-sex couples can pick up licenses.
Four same-sex couples have applied for marriage licenses within the first 36 hours of being able to do so in Howard County, according to the Marriage License Department of the Circuit Court for Howard County. "We were kind of expecting more, but maybe they know they have time," said Drew Furletti, manager of the county's land records office. Thursday marked the first day same-sex couples could apply for marriage licenses in the state. Gov. Martin O'Malley signed the election results around 10 a.m. Thursday morning, which made the Question 6 referendum results official. Marriage licenses obtained in December won't become effective until Jan. 1 when the law legalizing gay marriage goes into effect. But by opening up license applications in…
Thursday, October 18, 2012
A newly released Washington Post poll shows residents favor upholding the same sex marriage law.
A Washington Post poll found that 52 percent of likely Maryland voters would uphold the state law allowing same-sex marriages, while 43 percent would vote against upholding it. If approved, the law will go into effect next year. Same-sex marriage won a narrow legislative approval earlier this year, but opponents petitioned to have a referendum placed on the November ballot—Question 6. The Post poll, which telephoned 1,106 Maryland adults, found likely voters divided on the issue by race, region and political party: In September, Gonzales Research, an Annapolis polling firm, found similar results in its poll. The firm polled 813 registered voters across the state and found that 51 percent of likely voters would support Question 6, while …
Friday, August 3, 2012
Add your pictures by clicking "Upload Photos and Videos."
In response to Chick-fil-A's president making statements in support of traditional marriage, same-sex marriage supporters deemed Friday, Aug. 3, as "National Same Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A." Same-sex couples are taking pictures in front of the fast food locations across the country as part of the demonstration. Above, Elkridge couple Julie and Sama Bellomo posed for a kiss in front of the Chick-fil-A on Executive Park Drive in Columbia. Add your pictures by clicking "Upload Photos and Videos." Tension has ensued after Dan Cathy, Chick-fil-A's president, shared his views on family during a visit to North Carolina. "We are very much supportive of the family—the biblical definition of the family unit. We are a family-owned business, a …
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Ken Ulman co-hosts fundraiser with Howard County official supporting Marylanders for Marriage Equality.
Yesterday, I received an email inviting me to an event co-hosted by Howard County Executive Ken Ulman and Howard County Register of Wills Byron Macfarlane. The event is “in support of marriage equality in Maryland,” specifically benefiting the umbrella group Marylanders for Marriage Equality. As Joe Biden would say, this is a big [expletive] deal. It’s perhaps not as a big a deal as it would have been a month ago, before President Obama openly declared his support for same-sex marriage. But, still, politicians who have (purportedly) aspiration for higher office publically fundraising in support of same-sex marriage signals a shift in mind-set. (And if Ulman doesn’t run for governor, I would expect a lot of people to be asking for their …
Friday, June 15, 2012
The candidates, incumbents and issues that will be affecting Ellicott City and Howard County.
As we look ahead to November’s elections, Ellicott City Patch is devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race nationally and locally. Here's our start on the candidates and issues we'll be covering as November draws near. Bookmark this page for updates. -- President Barack Obama: Maryland is a reliably Democratic state for presidential candidates, but is important nationally, as its residents are known for opening their pocketbooks to write political contribution checks to presidential candidates, according to the Baltimore Sun. Obama held a fundraiser in Owings Mills on June 12 as well as campaigned in Baltimore with Gov. Martin O'Malley. He visited Towson University for a basketball game in November 2011. GOP …
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
The issue could go before Maryland voters in November.
Facing pressure to take a stand, President Barack Obama on Wednesday said he supports same-sex marriage. In an interview with ABC News’ Robin Roberts, Obama (D) described his “evolution” on the issue through talks with friends, and reflection on military personnel and members of his own staff who, he said, “are not able to commit themselves in a marriage,” adding that “at a certain point I’ve just concluded that for me personally it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same sex couples should be able to get married.” Excerpts of the interview are scheduled to appear on ABC’s World News with Diane Sawyer on Wednesday evening. The full interview is scheduled to appear on ABC’s Good Morning America on Thursday morning. Gov…
Friday, February 24, 2012
The governor's proposal to shift teacher pension costs from the state to the county could have far-reaching negative effects.
Gov. Martin O’Malley, as part of an incredibly ambitious (hubristic?) legislative session, has proposed shifting the burden of teacher pensions from the state to the counties, a move that has been vigorously opposed by most local governments, led by Howard’s own Ken Ulman. Initial reaction from people I’ve spoken to has been muted, if they’re even aware of the issue. Attentions are shifted by a proposed gas tax and same-sex marriage bill and this issue is sneaking by, despite the direct and long-term impact it could have on both your wallet and your children’s education. The simple fact is that a teacher pension shift will have immediate and far-reaching impact on everything from local police patrols to the ability of the school system to …
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Law goes to governor for signature and a likely referendum challenge.
The Maryland State Senate passed same-sex marriage by a 25-22 vote Thursday night. The passage of the bill comes less than a week after the House of Delegates passed the identical bill. The bill now goes to Gov. Martin O'Malley for his signature. The law, which goes into effect Jan. 1, 2013 is expected to face a referendum challenge and could end up on the November ballot along with the bill that grants in-state tuition rates to some children of illegal immigrants. Here's how the Howard County delegation voted:
Citizens cited religion, rights at a public hearing with local members of the delegation.
The Maryland Senate is scheduled to vote Thursday on a bill to legalize same-sex marriage--a measure that narrowly passed in the House of Delegates last week, with votes split 72-67. Three senators from Howard County have stated that they plan to vote for the bill’s passage. Sens. James Robey (D-Howard) and Allan Kittleman (R-Howard/Carroll) are co-sponsors of the legislation. An aide to Sen. Ed Kasemeyer (D-Howard/Baltimore) confirmed via email that he planned to support the bill as well. However, constituents at a hearing Tuesday evening were not unanimously supportive. An Elkridge man asked the senators, on religious grounds, to vote against the Civil Marriage Protection Act. “We now defend and do so vigorously the Catholic church’s …
Andrew Metcalf
4:50 pm on Friday, December 7, 2012
Correct, it's a waiting period. more ›