NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release
June 1, 2005

EQUALITY MARYLAND
Contact: Dan Furmansky, Executive Director
Phone:    Office 301-587-7500
Cell    301-461-4900
Email:  dan@equalitymaryland.org

EFFORTS TO FORCE GAY-RELATED BILLS TO REFERENDUM DIE

Hate Crimes, Anti-Bullying Legislation to Become Law on July 1

Annapolis - Efforts to collect 17,000 signatures to place four bills passed by the General Assembly on the November 2006 ballot were officially terminated by the Maryland Secretary of State when the petitioners failed to provide the required number of signatures to the Maryland Board of Elections by midnight last night. Delegate Don Dwyer (R-Anne Arundel) had attempted to bring the Medical Decision Making Act to referendum, and announced his intention to continue collecting signatures even after Governor Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. vetoed the bill. Votemarriage.org's Tres Kerns was gathering signatures on another vetoed bill that would have exempted domestic partners from the real estate transfer and recordation tax. He was also collecting signatures on the Hate Crimes Penalties Act and Safe Schools Reporting Act, two bills that were signed by Governor Ehrlich that will now become law in July.

"A statewide vote on the merits of any of these bills would surely have resulted in our favor," said Executive Director Dan Furmansky. "Nonetheless, we're heartened that these mean-spirited attempts to put basic, common sense protections for individuals and families up for a popular vote have failed. Clearly, the hate-filled misrepresentation of these bills was not persuasive enough to gather the requisite signatures."

The anti-gay forces behind the referendum efforts announced their intentions to work towards an anti-gay constitutional amendment regarding marriage.

Meanwhile, the General Assembly may override the Governor's vetoes of the two other bills when it reconvenes in January.

"We will continue our lobbying efforts between now and January to persuade our state legislators that LGBT families need and deserve these protections and that the Governor's vetoes must be overridden," Furmansky said.