Hearing set for Md. same-sex marriage bill

A Feb. 8 hearing has been set on one of the most high-profile issues before the Maryland General Assembly this year: legalizing marriage between same-sex couples, reports John Wagner on the Maryland Politics blog.

The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee will take up a bill sponsored by Majority Leader Robert J. Garagiola (D-Montgomery) that removes a provision in current Maryland law limiting marriages to those between a man and a woman.

The hearing date signals that lawmakers may deal with the issue earlier in their 90-day session than is often the case with controversial bills. Committees typically do not vote on the same day that a hearing is held, but a majority of members on the Senate panel have already publicly expressed support for the legislation.

Read more about the proposed legislation to legalized same-sex marriage in Maryland on the Maryland Politics blog.