You may not have noticed, but Maryland is poised to become the sixth state (plus D.C.) to legalize same-sex marriage, and real soon:
Supporters of same-sex marriage came to Annapolis on Tuesday armed with personal stories, emotional pleas for equal treatment and arguments about how allowing gay couples to marry could help Maryland's economy.
Opponents countered with biblical verses, research suggesting that children are better off with both a mother and a father, and warnings that "redefining marriage" could undermine other social institutions...
Before the proceedings, Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert) put the chance of passing a same-sex marriage bill by his chamber at 60 to 70 percent, saying a vote could come next week.
If the bill clears the Senate, then the House of Delegates, typically the more liberal chamber on social issues, would take up the issue, deciding whether Maryland should join the District and five states that allow same-sex marriage.
Gov. Martin O'Malley has already said he'll sign the bill if it passes. Each one of these events will garner less and less attention -- it's big news when the first or second state does it, but not so much when the sixth or 18th or 28th state does.
