MARYLAND: Former Marriage Backer (D) Now Wants Bill Changed To Civil Unions

[Bluebear]

Maryland Delegate Tiffany Alston, one of the key needed votes on the House judiciary committee, is backing away from her promise to support marriage equality. Now Alston says civil unions are the way to go:


Alston

Delegate Tiffany Alston, D-Prince George's, delayed a vote on the bill Tuesday morning by skipping the session in protest. On Thursday, she said she is researching an amendment that would better reflect a separation between church and state by changing the bill to be about civil unions. "I have a decision that I have to make that's going to satisfy my constituency as well as my conscience," Alston says. Alston says the change she is considering would allow Maryland residents to get civil union licenses if they wished to be married, whether they are heterosexual or homosexual. She says she believes the change would be "a good balance," but does not know if it would receive support from other committee members.

http://www.joemygod.blogspot.com/

[kevinbgoode]

1. Sorry, Tiffany. . .we already have a civil union system.

It's called MARRIAGE.

I am so frellin' sick of these wimpy-ass "allies" trying to push some separate-but-kinda-equal bullshit. ALL MARRIAGES ARE CIVIL UNIONS. There is no such thing as legal religious marriage in this country.

[SoCalDem]

2. Frankly, ALL marriages probably should be "civil unions"

and should not be gender-specific..

A "pick-your-life-partner" union with equal benefits, rights & responsibilities.

IF you are religious and want it "sanctified", have your preacher/minister/rabbi/priest/reverend/guru/imam/whatever have a ceremony & bless you:)

Remove the "by the power vested in me by the state of" crap removed completely.

The LEGAL union would be the one recorded by the state, and could be performed by a judge/justice of the peace or some other entity of the state.

[xchrom]

3. ...

:mad:

[Solomon]

4. I think she was actually a co-sponsor of the bill, not just a supporter.

[Bluebear]

5. Someone got to her.

[Unvanguard]

6. Her amendment failed, thankfully. It's going to the full House as a marriage equality bill.

What will happen to it there is anybody's guess.