In Same-Sex Marriage Testimony, O'Malley Balances Religious Freedom, Civil Rights [View all]
ANNAPOLIS (January 31, 2012) -- In testimony before a Senate committee Tuesday, Gov. Martin O'Malley stressed the importance of balancing the freedom of Maryland's religious institutions to practice their faith with the civil rights of same-sex couples in the state.
"As a free and diverse people of many faiths, we choose to be governed under the law by certain fundamental principles or beliefs, among them the belief we share in the dignity of every individual, a belief we share in equal protection of the law for every individual, and the belief in the free exercise of religion without government interference," he said to a committee room packed with supporters and opponents of the bill, one of the most controversial this session.
O'Malley hopes the Civil Marriage Protection Act, introduced last week, will pass both chambers of the General Assembly this spring. An earlier version stalled last year after it failed to pick up the 71 votes necessary to pass in the House.
O'Malley's testimony before the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee drew on themes of equality, freedom and dignity for all Marylanders. It also included assurances that the state would not impinge on the rights of religious institutions that see marriage as strictly between a man and a woman.
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