Take Five Minutes………
And Help Pass Marriage Equality
The Civil Marriage Protection Act of 2012
Senate Bill 241/House Bill 438
Please take five minutes to contact your delegates and senator immediately and ask them to vote YES on House Bill 438 or Senate Bill 241.
Several suggestions are below. The first two suggestions are crucial to include and the others can be added, if appropriate or feasible by phone or email.
Give your name and address and that you are in his/her district.
Ask your delegate or senator to support SB 241 or HB 438, The Civil Marriage Protection Act of 2012.
Include that you are a Unitarian Universalist.
Mention any personal connections you have with them.
Give your personal reasons for supporting the bill.
Thank them if they are a co-sponsor or if they have voted yes this year. (See the lists below and in the sidebar.)
You can find a link to legislators’ email addresses here. You can determine who your legislators are by clicking here. You can also call 410-946-5400 or 301-970-5400 and ask to be connected.
Please ask your friends, co-workers and relatives to contact their legislators, also. This is the crucial time to mobilize all supporters to communicate with their elected officials. Opponents are busy contacting legislators!
Background on the Bill
HB 438 was voted on last night (Tuesday, February 15th) by the House Judiciary and the House Health and Government Operations Committees after a 10 1/2 hour hearing on Friday. The joint committees voted 25 Yea, 18 Nay, 1 Abstain, and 1 Absent. The bill was brought to the floor of the House today and held over for a vote, probably this week, possibly as early as tomorrow. The Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee had a hearing on January 31, but no further action has taken place.
Joint February 14, 2012 vote on HB 438 by the House Judiciary and Health and Government Operations Committees
Members of House Health & Government
Operations Committee
YEA Votes: Chair Peter A. Hammen (D-46), Vice Chair Shane Pendergrass (D-13), Eric M. Bromwell (D-8), Robert A. Costa (R-33B), Dan K. Morhaim (D-11), Bonnie Cullison (D-19), Peter F. Murphy (D-28), Shirley Nathan-Pulliam (D-10), Nathaniel T. Oaks (D-41), Joseline Pena-Melnyk (D-21), James W. Hubbard, (D-23A), Kirill Resnik (D39), Ariana Kelly (D-16), Shawn Z. Tarrant (D-40), Veronica L. Turner (D-26).
NAY Votes: John P. Donoghue (D-2C), Donald E. Elliott (R-4B), William J. Frank (R-42) Justin Ready(R-5A), A. Wade Kach (R-5B), Nicholaus R. Kipke (R-31).
ABSENT: Patrick L. McDonough (R-7)
Members of the House Judiciary Committee
YEA Votes: Vice Chair Kathleen Dumais (D-15), Susan C. Lee (D-16), Jill P. Carter (D-41), Keiffer Mitchell, Jr. (D-44), Luke Clippinger (D-46), Curtis S. Anderson (D-43), Luiz Simmons (D-17), Frank Conaway, Jr. (D-40), Kris Valderrama (D-26), Kevin Kelly (D-1B), Jeffrey Waldstreicher (D-18).
NAY Votes: Chair Joseph F. Vallario, Jr. (D-27A), Tiffany Alston (D-24), Michael McDermott (R-38B), Neil Parrott (R-2B), John Cluster, Jr. (R-8), Susan K. McComas (R-35), Michael Smigiel, Sr. (R-36), Donald H. Dwyer, Jr. (R-31), Michael J. Hough (R-3B), Susan Krebs (R-9B), Geraldine Valentino-Smith (D23A).
ABSTAIN: Sam Arora (D-19)
UULM-MD is part of the Marylanders for Marriage Equality (MFME) Coalition, which includes the NAACP-Baltimore Chapter, 1199 SEIU, SEIU Local 500, ACLU-Maryland, Progressive Maryland, Equality Maryland, Human Rights Campaign, National Black Justice Coalition, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, Family Equality Council, Catholics for Equality, Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington, Maryland Faith for Equality, Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gay (PFLAG), Maryland National Organization for Women (NOW), Baltimore Black Pride Inc., National Center for Lesbian Rights, SEIU MD/DC State Council, CASA de Maryland and the Leaque of Women Voters.
THANK YOU! Thousands of UULM-MD valentines were delivered to legislators and hundreds of UUs attended the Rally for Marriage Equality on Monday night. You are making a difference!
Please forward this email to others! Our legislators need to hear from as many supporters as possible!
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The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland is funded in part by the Fund for UU Social Responsibility.
The Unitarian Universalist Legislative Ministry of Maryland
c/o UU Church of Annapolis
333 Dubois Road Annapolis, MD 21401
410-266-8044, ext. 111
info@uulmmd.org www.uulmmd.org
