The debate on same-sex marriage in Maryland continues this week in Annapolis, but there's no question where Harford County's legislators stand: United against the legislation.
The bill, which would legalize marriage for gay couples in the state, passed the Maryland House of Delegates in a 72-67 vote Friday, and received a favorable 7-4 voted in the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Tuesday.
Now, the bill moves on to the Senate floor, with a vote as early as Thursday.
All eight of Harford County's delegates, seven of whom are Republicans, voted against the bill, and two of three local senators, northern Harford's Barry Glassman and southern Harford's Nancy Jacobs, say they will do they same.
Western Harford Sen. J.B. Jennings was unable to be reached for comment, but he voted against the bill when it was before the senate last year.
Bel Air and Abingdon area Del. Susan McComas, wrote in an e-mail Monday that she has received e-mails from constituents who are on both sides of the issues.
"Certainly, the significant trend was not in favor of redefining marriage," she wrote.
On her reason why she voted against the bill, McComas said what most politicians not in favor of same-sex marriage have said in the past.
"Marriage has been defined as between a man and a woman in all of recorded history," she began. "All of the major religions have defined marriage between a man and a woman."
Putting same-sex marriage before the state's other pressing issues, doesn't make sense to her, McComas continued.
"With all of the financial woes in the State of Maryland, I cannot understand why the legislature needed to pass such a socially controversial bill," the delegate said. "Maryland has serious issues such as pension reform, educational funding, police aid, highway user funds and services to the poor and unemployed." McComas added that Gov. Martin O'Malley's attention should be focused on balancing the state budget.
Western Harford Del. Pat McDonough said he, too, as been receiving comments from the people he represents, mostly from those against the bill.
"My position, personally, is it's such a momentous change in tradition and in our culture, the only way to really do it is with a national constitutional amendment where everyone in the United States has a right to vote on it," he said.
McDonough said voting against the bill was an easy decision for him to make, as his faith is strongly against same-sex marriage.
He went on to say that there's "no question" that the bill will go to referendum, meaning if the bill passes or fails in the Senate, opponents of the decision can gather signatures in hopes of putting it on the November ballot for a state-wide vote. McDonough added that he believes the bill will pass through the Senate on the basis that it passed last year when it was first brought to the floor.
Horace Tittle, an assistant to Southern Harford Del. Glen Glass, told the Bush River Community Council at its meeting Monday evening that opponents of same-sex marriage will "probably have to bring it [the bill] to referendum." Tittle also said that Glass is "totally opposed" to the bill, as was shown through his vote Friday.
Jacobs echoed what Harford's other legislators believe.
"I have always voted against this bill. I believe that the definition of marriage should stay as it now stands — between a man and a woman," Jacobs wrote in an e-mail Monday.
Like Jacobs, Glassman voted against the same legislation last year and expects to do the same when the bill gets to the Senate floor, possibly later this week.
"I don't have a problem providing some right and privileges within a civil union," Glassman said, "but I don't want to redefine what a traditional marriage is."
The senator said traditional values are strongly represented among his constituents in the northern part of the county. The majority of e-mails and calls he has received from people on the matter have been staunchly against same-sex marriage, he said.
Despite his personal opposition, Glassman also believes the Senate will pass the bill and it will eventually end up going to referendum.
He added that a number of religious organizations that oppose same-sex marriage are already planning their process on how to gather signatures to get the legislation on the statewide ballot.