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Marriage Equality Legislation in Maryland

Written by Johnny O on February 16, 2012

February 16, 2012

STATEMENT FROM DELEGATE JOHN A. OLSZEWSKI, JR.

ANNAPOLIS, MD – Today, Delegate John A. Olszewski, Jr. issued the following statement:

“Through the course of this debate, I have always tried to strike a balance between providing equal rights under the law and ensuring that religious freedoms remain wholly intact. That is why I worked closely with the Governor, legislative leaders, and attorneys to strengthen the religious protections in the bill. I am confident that this legislation now has some of the strongest language in the country to protect religious institutions. While members of my church – and I am sure many communities – disagree over this issue, I simply cannot vote to deny other individuals access to the same legal rights and responsibilities that are given to me and my wife by the State.

My Christian faith is important to me. It is not the role of the State to tell my church – or any other faith community – what its beliefs can and cannot be. To that end, I have preferred the implementation of civil unions, but to go another day – or let alone another year, or perhaps longer – denying equal rights to all Marylanders would be a disgrace. I will be voting for the marriage equality legislation tomorrow.”

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End of Session
By: Johnny O on April 15, 2013

With 2013 Legislative Session now officially drawn to a close, I am pleased to provide you with my End of Session Report. This overview covers some of the major developments of the session, though space considerations prevent it from ...