Dear Colleagues,
It will come as no surprise to any of you that this is a crucial week for the six of us. As you know, the House will soon consider the Civil Marriage Protection Act (Senate Bill 116), a bill that will allow same-sex couples to marry in Maryland. Importantly, it will also reaffirm religious communities' constitutional right to solemnize only those unions that fit within their faith traditions. First and foremost, we write to ask you - on behalf of our families and thousands of families headed by same-sex couples in our state - to vote yes on this legislation. Just as important, though, we are writing to refocus this debate back to what this bill will actually do. Quite simply, it will secure for our families the protections that marriage - and only marriage - provides to loving and committed couples who have pledged to spend the rest of their lives together.
The General Assembly will consider many other important bills and initiatives during this legislative session, but few will be as important to a group of Marylanders as the Civil Marriage Protection Act will be for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The estimated 15,600 families headed by same-sex couples in our state are remarkably similar to all other families. As anyone who attended the House or Senate hearing can attest, we come from all walks of life and reflect the great diversity for which Maryland is known. Same-sex couples live in every single one of Maryland's counties. Fully one-fifth of LGBT families include children under the age of 18. Our households are financially interdependent in ways that any couple in the state would recognize. We are proud to live in Maryland.
Our families need the same protections because we face many of the same challenges. We stretch our paychecks to put food on the table, keep a roof over our children's heads and plan for emergencies. We struggle with the skyrocketing costs of health care, college tuition, and gas for our cars. And though we shoulder many of these same responsibilities, we cannot count on the same kind of safety net should life throw more at us than we can handle.
Marriage is at its best and most effective during some of life's worst moments. The protections it affords to families are especially crucial when one's spouse is in the back of an ambulance, or rushed into emergency surgery, or dies unexpectedly. For us, as for all of Maryland's families, a marriage license will mean far more than the paper on which it is printed. For us, it means the possibility of shared health insurance, more stable homes for our children, and fewer conversations about legal documents with attorneys. We would never want the responsibility of voting on you and your spouse's will, power of attorney, or advanced medical directive, but you've been put in that position this week for our families. We have faith that when faced with the option, you will vote to allow same-sex couples the opportunity to fulfill the commitments of mutual support and shared responsibility that we have already made to one another and to our children.
You will hear arguments during the course of this debate that, in our opinion, distract from what this bill does and what our conversation should be about. On the one hand, some proponents of marriage equality will speak of the recognition and respect that marriage confers on a relationship. Though this is undoubtedly true, we cannot legislate what is, at its core, a matter of the heart. We certainly seek to be thought of as any other family, but what is more important - and what is actually at stake with this bill - is that we are treated as any other family by the state and its laws. And on the other hand, some opponents of marriage equality will change the subject and seek to debate "the definition of marriage." But not only does this bill not affect any couple already married in Maryland, reframing the debate abstractly distracts from the very tangible protections that we seek for our families.
There will also undoubtedly be a debate about whether the state could design some institution other than marriage. We believe that any attempt to create a separate set of rules for our families will be far more complicated than ending the exclusion of our families from marriage and inevitably lead to unequal treatment. In the decade since civil unions were first created, this belief has been borne out by experience. Before Vermont passed marriage equality legislation, their civil union law was explicitly limited to not include all the protections of marriage. And in New Jersey, despite the promise of equal treatment, many private employers have declined to offer health benefits to the civil union partners of their employees. Marriage equality is a far simpler and more powerful solution.
We understand that for many of you this will be a close call and a tough vote - personally, politically, or spiritually. We know that for many of you with LGBT family members and friends, it is an issue as personal as it is for us. For those of you who have committed to supporting the Civil Marriage Protection Act, we thank you and ask you to stand strong with us. For those of you who are not yet sure if you can support us, what we ask you for is the opportunity to talk face-to-face about the challenges our families face and how this legislation will help us meet them. What we ask is for the opportunity to protect our families as you would protect yours. Thousands of families headed by same-sex couples need your vote on this legislation. Colleagues, we need you. Please vote yes on Senate Bill 116, the Civil Marriage Protection Act. Vote yes because you know it is the right thing to do. Vote yes because you want to stand on the right side of history. Vote yes because every family in Maryland needs the protections that marriage provides.
Your colleagues,
Luke Clippinger
Bonnie Cullison
Anne Kaiser
Maggie McIntosh
Heather R. Mizeur
Mary Washington
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
LGBT Delegates Make the Case for Marriage Equality
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Six Delegates Make a Direct Plea for Marriage to their Colleagues
Watch this testimony from Dels. Bonnie Cullison, Maggie McIntosh, Mary Washington, Heather Mizeur, Anne Kaiser, and Luke Clippinger.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Maggie McIntosh's Start of Session Letter
Dear Friends,
On Wednesday, January 12th the 428th session of the Maryland General Assembly began in earnest. Yesterday, with the inauguration of Martin O’Malley as our state’s 61st Governor, the real work of the 2011 legislative session begins. I have been proud to serve with Governor O’Malley and Lt. Governor Brown the past four years and look forward to working with them through the next four as we continue to move Maryland forward.
I am pleased and honored to return to Annapolis for a new term as your representative and to rejoin my colleagues from the 43rd District. We have one of the best, most active legislative teams in the state. Senator Joan Carter Conway is resuming her duties as chairing the Senate’s Education, Health and Environmental Affairs Committee while Delegate Curt Anderson will be serving as chairman of the Baltimore City Delegation. It will be a special treat to serve with new Delegate Mary Washington, who is joining the House’s Appropriations Committee.
I will once again be chairing the Environmental Matters Committee where this session we will be considering legislation ranging from protecting the health of the Chesapeake Bay and preserving open spaces to changes in real property law. As the nationwide economic recession continues, home foreclosures will once again be an issue we spend significant time on. I am excited to get to work and for the challenges ahead.
Preview of Session Issues
Throughout this session I will be giving you weekly updates on the work being done in the General Assembly and the Environmental Matters Committee that I chair, with special focus on the issues effecting residents of the 43rd Legislative District. This will no doubt be a busy session and I want to take this opportunity update you on some of the issues that are likely to loom large in the next 90 days.
The Budget:
The issue that has been getting the most coverage in the papers and on television is, of course, the state budget. Governor O’Malley will release his proposed budget for fiscal year 2012 tomorrow and he has already promised there will be significant cuts to address a $1.6 billion structural deficit. As the House of Delegates considers the budget, it will be my priority to make sure we preserve education funding and that we do not tear the safety net for working families hurt by the recession. I will also fight to ensure that state dollars continue to fund vital public projects and non-profit organizations in Baltimore City.
Civil Marriage:
As one of the main sponsors of marriage equality legislation the past few years, I am pleased to say 2011 is the first year that I feel a civil marriage bill can and will pass in the Maryland Senate. President Miller, while not a proponent of same-sex marriage, is cooperating with those of us that have made this a priority issue and we are just a few confirmed votes of passing a bill. I am working with advocacy groups and my fellow Delegates to ensure that when a civil marriage bill makes it through the Senate we pass it in the House.
Health Care Reform:
This year, we will be figuring out how the State of Maryland will implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by Congress last year. Some of the reforms will be easy to implement, other will require creativity and leadership given our current budget situation. Maryland has been one of the leading states in expanding health care coverage for all, especially our children. Maryland has already moved from the 44th to the 16th best state in terms of total coverage in recent years.
Other Issues:
While this list is by no means exhaustive, some of the other important issues expected to be addressed this session include:
* Gun control
* Road safety
* Slots expansion
* Education funding
* Direct wine sales
It is an honor and a privilege to serve you in Annapolis and I thank you for your continued support and trust. In the coming weeks I will give you both a preview of some of the bills being heard in the Environmental Matters Committee that I chair and a look at some of the legislation that, though not in my committee, is important to me and about which you have written me to express concern or interest. Please continue to send me your thoughts, either by phone (410-841-3990), by mail (6 Bladen St. Annapolis, MD 21401), or by email (maggie.mcintosh@house.state.md.us). You can also add comments or questions about this update and see my new community events calendar by visiting my website.
Sincerely
Maggie McIntosh
Thursday, April 08, 2010
Environmentalist Catfight
Maryland’s environmentalists say they have gotten “the shaft” this year in Annapolis. That recent spate of misfortune, and especially an extremely controversial bill on stormwater requirements, has set off some catfighting among friends. And we have a dog’s-eye view of the scratching and hissing below!
The immediate issue concerns HB 1125, a bill that in its original form would have weakened stormwater restrictions passed in 2007 at the behest of developers who did not want to bear increased costs. But developers and a few environmental group representatives negotiated a compromise that instead grandfathered existing projects out of the new rules. The bill, now amended to include the compromise, passed the House of Delegates but was still opposed by some environmentalists as well as Senator Paul Pinsky (D-22). It was eventually approved by a joint panel of state legislators on Tuesday and will take effect.
The grandfathering provisions have split Maryland’s environmentalist groups. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation opposed the original bill but supports the compromise. The Maryland League of Conservation Voters also opposed the original bill but remained neutral on the compromise. Environment Maryland characterizes the compromise as a legislative “loss.”
All of this provoked a hissing, clawing spat that spread over environmentalist listservs and made its way to this blog. The pugilistic pussycats are Laura Moore, a former President of the Graduate Student Government at the University of Maryland and a current staffer of Prince George’s County Council Member Tom Dernoga, and Doug Siglin, Federal Affairs Director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, which helped to negotiate the grandfathering compromise. Caught by a few claw swipes was none other than Delegate Maggie McIntosh (D-43), the Chair of the House Environmental Matters Committee and a compromise supporter.
Meeooww #1:---------- Forwarded message ----------
Meeooww #2:
From: Laura Moore
Date: Tue, Mar 30, 2010 at 5:43 PM
Subject: How our delegates voted on weakening Bay protections
To: greenbelters@yahoogroups.com
Everyone,
I've posted on the "Dirty Water Bill" aka HB 1125 before, but wanted to post an update. Due in part to some deliberate misinformation on the part of elected officials and a few "environmental" groups, this bill passed the House 127-13 on Friday. Anne Healey demonstrated some backbone and voted against this terrible bill. I cannot say the same for Justin Ross or Tawanna Gaines, who voted in favor of more Bay pollution. That was very disappointing. Senator Paul Pinsky has been absolutely heroic in working to kill or at least lessen the impact of this bill, and he's up against a lot of pressure. Some background:
In 2007, the state legislature passed the Stormwater Management Act (2007SWMA), which tightened standards on runoff from developments, with regulations set to be enacted in 2010. Paved areas speed up the flow of runoff into streams and waterways, causing flooding and causing scouring and erosion of stream banks (the "fire hose effect"). If runoff flows off pavement unchecked, it carries with it pollutants into waterways and ultimately into the Chesapeake Bay. Pollution from runoff is a large part of why there are so many dead zones in the Bay.
Despite the fact that developers have had three years to adjust to these reasonable standards, they still want exemptions, loopholes, and further grandfathering until 2017. Unfortunately, they have found a welcome audience with some powerful legislators. The House Environmental Matters Committee heard HB 1125 on Wednesday March 24, BUT Chairperson Maggie McIntosh (who wants to be the next Speaker of the House) would not allow non-supporters to testify against the bill. Earlier in the day, former U.S. Senator Joe Tydings, former U.S. Representative Wayne Gilchrest, and former Governor Harry Hughes, all long-time supporters of the Bay, held a press conference denouncing the legislation. They along with 30 representatives of local environmental groups attended the hearing, but were not permitted to testify. Sen. Tydings stood up and asked that they at least be recognized, but Chairperson McIntosh went ballistic and started shrieking, "Last I checked, this was still MY hearing room."
Last week there was a false rumor, "confirmed" by the Speaker's office, that Gilchrest and Hughes had defected and were now supporting the bill. I have had it confirmed repeatedly (including by phone with Senator Tydings yesterday) that this is NOT the case. The three elder statesmen still oppose the bill and any weakening of Bay protections. As recently as yesterday, they were lobbying senators and the governor against the bill. Most environmental groups oppose HB 1125, but a few, including Chesapeake Bay Foundation, agreed to support the legislation. (McIntosh is closely affiliated with CBF and steers money their way.) This provided cover for politicians to vote for the bill.
After working in politics for the past few years, I don't often get surprised by the dirty dealings of politicians, but this one really left me sick to my stomach.
I urge you to spread the word about this. Please take a moment to thank Paul Pinksy for all his hard work: paul.pinsky@senate.state.md.us I will forward an email with detailed information on what you can do to help. Feel free to contact me if you would like any further information.
Laura MooreOn Thu, Apr 1, 2010 at 5:37 PM, Doug Siglin wrote:
Meeooww #3:
Colleagues, this email came to my attention today, since I remain on several Anacostia-related distribution lists and continue to try to assist the Anacostia with the federal agencies and in Congress. In the email below, Laura Moore takes serious issue with what CBF, 1000 Friends of Maryland and LCV MD have done regarding HB1125. That's fair game. What is not fair is to assert that Delegate McIntosh "steers money their way." That is utterly false. I asked Ms. Moore privately to let you know that she misunderstood something and mischaracterized this, but, using her anger as a reason, she says she will not. She further says that she will discourage people from supporting CBF, and apparently this is one way she believes that she can do it.
All I can do under the circumstances is to let you know that no one in the General Assembly, including Ms. McIntosh, steers money to CBF. Whatever the reasons are for what happened, this is not one of them, and demeans both Delegate McIntosh and CBF.
I am not involved in the Annapolis issues at all, but it pains me enormously to see people who disagree on policy matters stoop to this level. We're increasingly used to seeing it from fringe elements in the right wing "tea parties"; but I would suggest that we who are all in our own ways trying to help the environment and other progressive causes should be better than that.
Doug Siglin, Federal Affairs Director
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
725 8th Street, SE Washington DC
(202) 544-2232 in DC or (443) 482-2171 in AnnapolisFrom: AWCAC@yahoogroups.com
Meeooww #4:
[mailto:AWCAC@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Laura Moore
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 5:49 PM
To: restoretheanacostia@yahoogroups.com
Cc: Masaya Maeda; AWCAC@yahoogroups.com; friendsofsligocreek@yahoogroups.com; neighborsnwb@yahoogroups.com; bcwwg@yahoogroups.com; stillcreek@yahoogroups.com; James Foster
Subject: [AWCAC] Re: [restoretheanacostia] RE: [CCRIC] Fwd: How our delegates voted on weakening Bay protections
Doug,
You are welcome to say what you like, and I am welcome to disagree with you. As I stated in our personal email exchange of a few moments ago, we disagree on the facts. I do not regret or retract my statement. I believe what I said is common knowledge, and thinking otherwise is pretty naive. Obviously you have vested interest into attempting to embarrass me into submission, but that's just not going to happen. I will never give money to CBF again, or to 1000 Friends of Maryland or Maryland LCV. These three groups have lost a tremendous amount of credibility with many folks, including me. You've done damage, and I only hope we can reverse it.
I stand by my statements.
I am not on all these lists, so please feel free to forward my statement if you like.
Laura MooreOn Thu, Apr 1, 2010 at 6:03 PM, Doug Siglin wrote:
MEEOOWWW!!!
Ms. Moore, I have no interest in embarrassing you into submission. I've never met you as far as I know. I just wanted to correct the record on steering money and deliver a personal plea that we try to keep from demeaning one another. You may not see it this way, but in the big picture, we are most certainly all on the same team.
Doug Siglin, Federal Affairs Director
Chesapeake Bay Foundation
725 8th Street, SE Washington DC
(202) 544-2232 in DC or (443) 482-2171 in AnnapolisFrom: On Behalf Of Laura Moore
Sent: Thursday, April 01, 2010 6:35 PM
To: Doug Siglin
Cc: restoretheanacostia@yahoogroups.com; Masaya Maeda; AWCAC@yahoogroups.com; friendsofsligocreek@yahoogroups.com; neighborsnwb@yahoogroups.com; bcwwg@yahoogroups.com; stillcreek@yahoogroups.com; James Foster
Subject: Re: [AWCAC] Re: [restoretheanacostia] RE:
[CCRIC] Fwd: How our delegates voted on weakening Bay protections
Doug,
I agree we shouldn't demean each other or get personal, but you publicly accused me of lying, using my supposed "anger" to lie, and you compared me to a fringe element. I simply stated what is common knowledge about your organization. Some proof below. I am happy to provide more proof if you so desire, this was just what I came up with after a
few minutes of searching.
I realize you are simply trying to defend your organization, but forwarding an email that does not portray CBF in a positive light to many environmental organizations who are now trying to reverse damage that CBF has caused does not seem to be helping anyone, least of all CBF.
As we probably all know, Delegate McIntosh sponsored the bill that created the Save the Bay license plate. Money goes to CB Trust, which gives money to CBF.
From CBF's site:
http://www.cbf.org/Page.aspx?pid=427
CB Trust's 2009 report:
http://www.cbtrust.org/atf/cf/%7BEB2A714E-8219-45E8-8C3D-50EBE1847CB8%7D/About_AnnualReport_GrantListings_2009_Final.pdf
I think it's good that we have legislators who are willing to support our organizations, and Delegate McIntosh has at other times been a strong ally of the environment. She is very influential in the environmental community, but that puts us in a position where it's difficult to say no to her when she is not doing the right thing.
But you're right, ultimately we are all on the same team. I know there are hard feelings all around right now, but we'll have to move forward as a team as best we can.
Laura Moore
Sunday, April 26, 2009
McIntosh Joins TruBlu Politics
Following is the press release from TruBlu Politics.
For More Information Contact:
David Goodman
202-431-9940
For Immediate Release
April 23, 2009
McIntosh Joins TruBlu Politics to Form Powerhouse Political Consulting Firm
Baltimore, MD—Baltimore Delegate Maggie McIntosh joins TruBlu Politics as full partner, creating a powerhouse political consulting and direct mail firm in Maryland.
McIntosh, Chair of the House of Delegates Environmental Matters Committee, has served in the House of Delegates since 1992 and began her own direct mail firm, McIntosh Files, in 2004.
“I am extremely excited to join TruBlu Politics. This partnership will allow us to provide the very best client service and quality direct mail to Democratic candidates throughout the country,” says McIntosh.
McIntosh’s list of clients includes Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown and Baltimore City Council President Stephanie Rawlings Blake. In 2008, she collaborated with TruBlu Politics on direct mail for Frank Kratovil’s successful campaign for Congress.
McIntosh brings over 20 years experience in Maryland politics to the partnership. In 2001, she became the first woman to serve as House Majority Leader and has been named one of Maryland’s Top 100 Women. Prior to her election in the House of Delegates, she served as State Director and Campaign Manager for U.S. Senator Barbara Mikulski.
“Michael and I worked with Maggie last year and there was just a great synergy,” says David Goodman, a founding partner of TruBlu Politics. “We are looking forward to forging a great partnership.”
Tapper, with a combined 25 years of message development and political consulting experience established TruBlu Politics in 2006 with partner and co-founder David Goodman. Winning political strategist, Goodman, has been active in Democratic politics since 1994 and has been producing direct mail for the past 8 years.
In 2008, TruBlu managed successful direct mail campaigns on behalf of Rep. Donna Edwards (District 4) and Rep. Frank Kratovil (District 1). Previous successes include wins for Progressive Majority Colorado and numerous legislative campaigns in Maryland.
Tapper has received recognition by the American Association of Political Consultants and the NAACP for his message and design for the controversial NAACP National Voter Fund campaign that mobilized a million new African American voters in the 2000 election. Tapper and Goodman have collaborated on other notable campaigns including D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams’ historic write-in campaign in 2002 and Mayor Douglas Palmer’s victory in Trenton, NJ in 2006.
TruBlu Politics is a national direct mail and political consulting firm based in Ellicott City, Maryland.
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