Md. Marriage Vote Likely on Friday

The Maryland house of delegates is likely to vote Friday on the marriage equality bill after fending off amendments that could have derailed the legislation in a round of debate on Wednesday.

According to The Washington Post, the house defeated amendments including one that would have prevented the marriage bill from taking effect unless voters rejected a 2012 ballot question asking whether a marriage ban should be written into the state constitution.

Supporters of a bill to allow same-sex marriages in Maryland fended off several amendments Wednesday in the house of delegates that could have sunk the legislation, but said it was unclear whether they would have enough votes to pass it. Other failed proposals would have allowed religious-affiliated adoption agencies to refuse services to same-sex couples, allowed religious parents to pull their children from sex education programs that reference same-sex relationships and let teachers to opt out, and changed the name of the bill from the Civil Marriage Protection Act to Same-sex Marriage.

House leaders decided to resume debate Friday and the vote in the 141-member chamber is expected to be close. The senate passed the bill, which Gov. Martin O'Malley has promised to sign, two weeks ago by a vote of 25 to 21.