MARYLAND: Marriage Bill Back On Track?

After two days of delays and some minor panic due to two wayward Democrats, marriage equality backers in Maryland now think the bill will advance out of the House judiciary committee tomorrow. But it will be a squeaker.

Delegates Tiffany Alston, Prince George’s County Democrat, and Jill Carter, Baltimore city Democrat, said Wednesday that they are ready to cast votes on the bill, which is in House’s 22-member Judiciary Committee. Mrs. Alston said she missed the scheduled vote Tuesday morning because she needed more time to consider the issue. Mrs. Carter said she wanted to “leverage” her vote to bring attention to proposed state budget cuts to Baltimore city education and to a bill on child custody and welfare that she is sponsoring. Committee members think Mrs. Alston and Mrs. Carter would cast the 11th and 12th votes needed to advance the bill to the House floor.

One of the bill's backers says that if the vote doesn't happen by Thursday afternoon, "you can write the obituary."