The Maryland House Judiciary Committee has rejected a bill proposed by Delegate Emmett C. Burns, a Democrat from Baltimore County, that would prohibit the state from recognizing same-sex marriages lawfully performed in other states. The proposal “was seen as a pre-emptive strike against a legal opinion that state Attorney General Douglas F. Gansler has been working on since a senator requested it last year.” The Attorney General has been known to favor legislation favoring same-sex marriages, but such legislation has not made it out of the committee. Despite attempted efforts to permit gay marriage, Maryland law still prohibits it. Maryland Code, Family Law 2-201 states that, “[o]nly a marriage between a man and a woman is valid in this State.” This issue has possible ramifications in custody and visitation between same-sex partners as explored in our November 27, 2009 blog.
For more information, contact Monica Scherer, Esq. at 410-625-4740