From the office of Del. Rick Impallaria:
After three hours of debate, there has not been a vote yet. The bill was sent back to committee (House Judiciary) for reasons which were not explained. The bill is not dead, nor should we think of this as a victory for traditional marriage.
You should continue to voice your opinion to your delegates.
I will be voting against this bill, in order to protect our families and our children.
Rick Impallaria
Delegate, District 7
rick.impallaria@house.state.md.us
Dave Yensan says
It was sent back to committee because the left fringe couldn’t muster enough votes to pass it. Had the vote been held it would have killed the idea for this year. Now the fringe has time to go muster the additional votes before bringing it back out. Call them right now Rick and tell them you’ll vote for it if they give you three new schools for Harford County. I know you’re not supposed to sell your vote but what the hell the r4est of them sure do.
BAHS student says
Wow Rick, thanks for actively fighting equality for all Marylanders! You’re doing a great job protecting “our families and our children”
/sarcasm
Steve says
Exactly how does denying marriage to gays and lesbians “protect our families and our children”? That argument has never been explained well, and on its surface makes no sense whatsoever. Are the children of gay families somehow beneath your contempt? Shame on you Mr. Impallaria.
Watcher says
That’s because that argument cannot BE explained. It’s ridiculous.
paul yanney says
Are they doing anything else down there on our dime other than debating marriage? With probably half of all marriages ending in divorice maybe they should discuss that? Oh wait a minute-i forgot, that’s probably a great source of income for lawyers!
katelyn says
Impending gas tax increase, liquor tax increase, unbalanced budget with no real cuts anywhere and this is the biggest story out of Annapolis?? We’re paying delegates how much for this circus show? Thanks for protecting me and my family from gay/lesbian marriage, Harford Delegation.
Retiredawhile says
I agree Katelyn. With both houses controlled by Democrat majorities and all of the problems facing us economically, this is what we get from our state government.
Dave Yensan says
Retiredawhile puts his thumb on the pulse of the problem. We are all controlled by one party, in the case of Maryland it’s the democrats. One party control is disastrous. It lets Marty, Mike and Mike do just about anything they want and the other citizens be damned. It leads to a state ideology that is bound to run against the grain of a whole bunch of the taxpayers. Unfortunately the same is true for any state where the republicans have absolute power. We need the balance of another party. The TEA party movement is more reaction to one party ideology than against democrats.
Cdev says
This is why I think a true independent third party is a good idea. It forces the minority party in the case of a majority to propose real ideas to become the majority or plaurality. WIth a plaurality it forces people to work together. I think the TEA party could be that third party if they dumped the GOP.
Diane says
Wow. If you are threatened by gay marriage- there is something seriously wrong with you.
Don Ho says
It’s not a question of being “threatened by gay marriage” it is about redefining marriage, the pursuit of secular progressives to normalize homosexuality by law and therefore incorporating homosexual ideology into the classroom.
Cdev says
I have a novel idea. How about the government stay out of religion and stay out of the marrige buisness.
Don Ho says
Your idea is neither novel nor practical.
Cdev says
Why not? Why should I have to get permission from the state to excercise my religious belief and participate in the sacrament of marrige?
Don Ho says
Your marriage license is a legal construct not a religious one.
Cdev says
But all these politicians keep citing their religion as the reason that marriage should be “protected” If it is a religious construct, which it is then the state should stay out of it all together. The state can still deny permission of a man and women to marry if they wish. It is an excuse to charge people a fee for an income tax deducation if you remove the religious construct from marrige. Personally I don’t think I should have to pay a fee to excercise my religious beliefs!
frankly speaking says
marriage bill is dead for now, but the seed has been sown and it will happen sooner than later. I believe the Supreme Court will eventually declare any attempt to regulate marriage between consentin adults Unconstitutional and then the world will come to an end.
Don Ho says
Supreme court will likely not rule to redefine marriage into a different configuration than opposite sex couples.
The reason gay marriage advocates have gone the individual state route is because they know they have no chance with the US Supreme Court. In fact they have no chance with individual state supreme courts.
The primary reason is that all individuals have the equal right to marry today. That equal right is to marry someone of the opposite sex.
Same-sex marriage is about normalizing homosexuality in all aspects society to the extent that it is revered. The militant gay lobby wants to educate people from youth that homosexuality and same-sex is equivalent heterosexuality.
This debate is about secular progressivism.
Cdev says
You still have not addressed my question. If marrage is a civil construct only why should I have to get permission to get married from the state? Wouldn’t individual freedom say that I don’t need permission?
Retiredawhile says
Just a thought. If marriage were a civil construct only, then I would think that permission from the state to get married would not be required. However, if that were the case then the state should not be required to provide any advantages of law which apply only to married persons. If there is no “legal” advantage to being married then I agree, who should care.
Don Ho says
While CDEV might not like it Retiredawhiles’s answer is very good.
The gay agenda is about re-ordering society with its main goal of forced normalization of homosexuality of not just being equivalent to heterosexuality, but a superior alternative for which people should be educated on this option.
Cdev says
I actually do not think it is only a civil construct but am simply using Don’s words. I really think the govt. should get out of charging fees to excercise ones religious beliefs. I also think that they should stop subsidizing those beliefs.
Don Ho says
Cdev you are dense.
Watcher says
Don Ho – you are a homophobe.
Tiny Bubbles…..
Cdev says
I don’t see how asking a question, which you have yet to answer makes me dense!
Don Ho says
No Watcher, I am not and nothing I’ve said supports that assertion.
Don Ho says
Cdev – You want to make this about religion and it’s about what I said previously –
“The gay agenda is about re-ordering society with its main goal of forced normalization of homosexuality of not just being equivalent to heterosexuality, but a superior alternative for which people should be educated on this option.
It is you that attempts to obfuscate and deflect.
Cdev says
So the DOMA’s all over state ballotts in 2004 had nothing to do with religion? The sponsors said they where defending marrige which according to the bible is between a man and a women. I always thought that marriage was a sacrament and I took it very seriously. Either way the state should not be regulating marriage at all! What is the compelling interest in doing so?
Don Ho says
I am not letting you so easily. Again Cdev…You want to make this about religion and it’s about what I said previously –
“The gay agenda is about re-ordering society with its main goal of forced normalization of homosexuality of not just being equivalent to heterosexuality, but a superior alternative for which people should be educated on this option.
It is you that attempts to obfuscate and deflect.
Vlad says
@Cdev, I haven’t read on single “DOMA” type bill federal or state that mentions religion or uses religion as its basis. So I don’t know what you are talking about?
Vlad
Watcher says
Um, and it still makes you a homophobe.
Don Ho says
Watcher,
Then I guess everyone who believes that the same-sex marriage bill is bad law, redefines marriage and that remakes society is homophobic.
Watcher it is quite boorish of you attempt to quash reasoned debate.
Don Ho
Cdev says
Don so you are claiming the Defense of Marriage Acts where placed on by those in support of homosexuals? These where placed on the ballott in states who had not even considered gay marriage.
Don Ho says
It is about protecting the definition of marriage and not being for or against homosexual lifestyles.
Cdev says
Yes but Don my point is long before gay marriage was ever considered and pssed anywhere. There was a need for whatever reason for Utah to put on the ballott and pass a DOMA. My question is why was that neccessary. What was attacking marriage at that point? During the debate by the people who put these in play in 2000 and 2004 was that it needed a biblical defense? Where the people who put this out there not telling the truth?
RichieC says
Another bill…the number eludes me….is the raise in fuel taxes by 10% and attaching it to the construction price index thereafter. This would act as a back door TOLL to transportion traveling through the state as heavy trucks dont pay at the pump only but pay for fuel used in state and purchased out of state. Considering both Virginia,Delaware, and New Jersey are cheaper and flourishing with new buisness and are cheaper at the pump already by a small amount the affect would cause a lesser ability for buisness development in our state.
frankly speaking says
Any increase in taxes that affects everyone such as a fuel tax will act as a brake on economic growth and jobs. In fact, the state should be mandated to spend transportation funds in transportation related expenses and not be allowed to send those taxes to the general fund because as we see, the counties have had their citizen gas tax dollars reduced by 90% while Baltimore City received an increase even though there are no state roads there. Just as the marriage bill died, the taxpayer needs to show up in Annapolis and protest any increases in gas taxes to supplement any budget deficit. I do have different feelings about increaing taxes on alchol since those rates haven’t changed in 30 years.
one more former student says
so who is going to protect us from Rick??????????
and when is he going to actually do something to help those people who he is supposed to serve for??????
lot’s of talk, lot’s of soapbox.. not much action…