Gay Couples Would Receive Limited Rights Under Maryland Governor's Plan

[davidinalameda]

http://www.365gay.com/Newscon06/01/011906mdPartner.htm

Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. proposed some limited medical decision-making rights for unmarried couples today, offering a bill that his staff said keeps a commitment he made nine months ago when he vetoed a more expansive piece of legislation dealing with gay and heterosexual unmarried couples.

The bill would set up a statewide registry where people could list advance directives on how they wish to be treated in end-of-life situations. It was among 20 proposals included in the Republican governor's legislative program for the final year of his term.

Ehrlich had already revealed details about most of his legislative package in a series of announcements around the state in recent week.

The package touches on some of the governor's old favorites such as slot machines, witness intimidation and medical malpractice. Also among the bills are some mostly modest tax exemptions and tax credits, stricter registration requirements for sex offenders and tougher laws for teenagers who drink and drive.


why does the state have to create a registry--doesn't the state recognize powers of attorney?

sounds like a lot too little and and lot too late

[marmar]

1. Yes, let's grant gay people partial citizenship....

Kind of sad when that's considered progress. :cry:

[TaleWgnDg]

2. Well, let's clarify this from the get-go . . .

First of all, civil unions for gays "grant" less than full marriage rights. And, these so-called "civil union" rights for gays vary state-to-state at the total discretion of courts, legislative bodies, and/or the general public (via a ballot initiative), as well as these civil unions grant no foreign country recognition as does marriage.

Second of all, anything less than civil unions grants, again, whatever the hell the state or whomever else wants to grant. For example, here, Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. "grants" something that's already available through a good lawyer which could be upheld u/ the state constitution through the courts. Unreal. What an *ss is Ehrlich! Political pandering for votes, campaign monies, and muscle with other rightwingnuts.

Bottom line? All is second-class citizen rights u/ our federal constitution, period, unless of course it's a grant of full marriage rights u/ all state laws and federal laws!

All that being said, it's a compromise. Are gays willing to take a compromise in Maryland? Is it too little? It should be questioned whether the State of Maryland should pass such legislation, as a small step toward eventual full and equal marriage rights in law in Maryland.
.

[kevinbgoode]

3. This governor is a joke

Gee..thank you very much, Gov...after all, I keep being told that I live in a FREE country, yet you are too fuc*ing timid to accept that every citizen in your damned state should be able to make their OWN decisions about health, life, property and disposal of body and assets at the end of life.

In my opinion, every single person - not just gay people, should be up in arms all over this country about this crap. Seems to me that the married people are in the minority anyway, and what right to these people have to dictate that everyone HAS to get married to have control over our own lives?