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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 28, 2007

WILLIAMS INSTITUTE RELEASES NEW STUDIES ANALYZING FISCAL IMPACT OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN MD AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF OVER 15,600 SAME-SEX COUPLES LIVING THROUGHOUT THE STATE


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Syd Peterson, 917.621.6411, syd@rennacommunications.com
Cathy Renna, 917.757.6123, cathy@rennacommunications.com

LOS ANGELES, November 28, 2007 – The Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law today released two new research studies, one estimating that same-sex marriage in Maryland would have a positive impact on the state budget of approximately $3.2 million annually, the other analyzing U.S. Census data to provide demographic and economic information for the over 15,600 same-sex couples in the state.

FISCAL ANALYSIS REPORT

http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/MarylandFiscalImpact.pdf

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

  • Same-sex marriage in Maryland would have a positive impact on the state budget of approximately $3.2 million annually.
  • Revenues from same-sex weddings would be about $94 million per year, providing a major boost to Maryland businesses and the state economy. This spending could generate approximately $14 million in tax revenue over three years.
  • Extending marriage rights to same-sex couples would reduce the State's expenditures on means-tested public benefit programs by about $1.5 million annually.
  • The net impact on the State's income tax revenue resulting from same-sex marriages would be small: the State would experience a decrease in income tax revenue of about $132,000 annually.
  • Maryland would experience little effect on revenues generated by the inheritance tax as a result of same-sex marriage.
  • The State would incur some revenue loss from transfer taxes as a result of same-sex marriage, approximately $1.4 million annually.
  • With same-sex marriage, annual expenditures on state employee benefit programs would increase between $400,000 and $1.3 million.
  • Administrative costs generated from same-sex marriage certificates would be less than the revenue generated by license fees.
  • Approximately 7,800 of Maryland's same-sex couples would marry if permitted.

CENSUS SNAPSHOT

http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/MarylandCensusSnapshot.pdf

KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:

  • In 2000, there were 11,243 same-sex couples living in Maryland. By 2005, the number of same-sex couples increased to more than 15,600.
  • There are more than 178,000 gay, lesbian, and bisexual people (single and coupled) currently living in Maryland.
  • Approximately 7% of adopted children in Maryland live with a gay or lesbian parent.
  • Same-sex couples live in every county in Maryland and constitute 1.0% of all coupled households and 0.6% of all households in the State. In 2000, Baltimore City reported the most same-sex couples at 2,118 (0.8% of all city households), followed by Montgomery County with 2,070 couples (0.6% of all county households), Prince George's County with 1,680 couples (0.6%), and Baltimore County at 1,538 couples (0.5%).
  • Despite the military's historic policies of excluding gay men and lesbians from service, individuals in same-sex couples have served in the military: 8% of individuals in same-sex couples are veterans, compared to 17% of married individuals.

SAME-SEX PARENTS HAVE FEWER ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED PARENTS

  • The median household income of same-sex couples with children is $41,100, or 45% lower than that of married parents ($75,000). The average household income of same-sex couples with children is $58,572, compared to $91,383 for married parents.
  • While only slightly more than half (51%) of same-sex couples with children own a home, 81% of married parents own a home.

SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE MARYLAND ECONOMY

  • Individuals in same-sex couples in Maryland are more likely to be employed than married individuals: 80% of individuals in same-sex couples are employed, compared to 70% of married individuals.
  • Contrary to a popular stereotype, men in same-sex couples have significantly lower incomes than married men. On average, men in same-sex couples in Maryland earn $42,750 per year, compared to $56,434 for married men. The median income of men in same-sex couples in Maryland is $35,200, or 21% less than that of married men ($44,600).
  • Women in same-sex couples earn an average of $41,546 per year (with a median of $35,000), significantly more than married women, whose earnings average $32,787 (with a median of $28,000), but women in same-sex couples still earn less than men.