One step forward, one step back:
Maryland Senate approves bill on gay marriage, but House passage not ensured
The Maryland Senate narrowly approved legislation Thursday that would legalize same-sex marriages after a day of emotional and often personal debate laced with references to religion and civil rights.
The 25 to 21 vote sent the bill to the House of Delegates, traditionally the more liberal chamber on social issues. But supporters acknowledged Thursday that they still were a couple of votes shy of the majority needed for House passage.
The president, however, is still "grappling" with the issue of gay marriage. On the other hand...
Virginia assembly says abortion clinics should be regulated as hospitals
Antiabortion activists scored a major victory in Virginia as the state's General Assembly agreed Thursday that clinics where most of the state's early-term abortions are performed should be regulated as hospitals instead of as doctors' offices.
Abortion rights advocates, who have fended off similar attempts in Virginia for two decades, say the new rules could be so restrictive that they could force as many as 17 of the state's 21 abortion clinics out of business.
This is a common tactic among state legislatures opposed to abortion rights: Since they can't make abortion illegal, they impose onerous regulations on abortion clinics that make it effectively impossible to operate, thereby making abortions impossible to get. But cheer up, ladies: "This is not about banning abortion in Virginia," said one Republican legislator. "It is simply caring for women who are about to have an invasive surgical procedure." That's good to know.