Late to mentioning this, but the Fairness for All Marylanders Act is still alive.  The current status is that the House Government and Operations Committee http://openstates.org/md/committees/MDC000314/ heard public testimony March 5th, 2014.  (My wife and I were two of the people speaking in favor.)

It was thought that they'd be voting on the 12th. I'm not taking it as a good sign that we haven't heard anything yet.  After we (all proponents) had testified, most of the committee left (during the time of the opponents' testimony), which seemed promising.  Most of those who left had been the ones who were responding most positively while we were testifying.

My take is that if the bill gets out of the committee, it stands and excellent chance in the house full vote.  Previous votes had gone better in the house than the senate, and this bill had 60+ cosponsors in the House, with only ~140 members in the house.

Still, getting out of the committee, well, I don't know how the votes sit and it strikes me that if it weren't close, it would either have been killed or passed forward already.

So ... Marylanders, please check out the membership on the committee and write your representatives.  Bonnie Cullison is one of the cosponsors and testified to the committee (and is a member), so she's not one of the people who needs reminding :-)  But anyone else is probably fair game, even if they are cosponsors.

Many times it has gotten this far just to never be voted on. I have a feeling this is going to be another one of them years.

Isabell

Quote from: mind is quiet now on March 15, 2014, 08:40:27 PM
Many times it has gotten this far just to never be voted on. I have a feeling this is going to be another one of them years.

Actually not quite true!  In 2011 the House of Delegates passed a gender identity bill, but it died in the Senate.  Since then, those of us involved in the bill have seen the Senate as the main obstacle.  In particular, the Judicial Proceedings Committee.  This year, it passed the committee and then the full Senate for the first time.  So those are votes that happened! 

All indications are that this year it can pass.  But trans* people need to step up and speak up.  The best way to make sure it won't pass, and you won't be protected, is to sit by and do nothing. 

From the history (reported to the committed by Bonnie Cullison), this type of bill has previously been passed twice by the House.  It was the Senate which had blocked it.

When we were up at lobby day (in February), our state senator was concerned that the senate committee would vote down the bill, 5-6, again killing it.  This time, though, the committee voted 8-3 in favor, then the senate as a whole 32-15 in favor.  It no doubt helped that the governor is a supporter of the bill, and came out to the lobby day speaking in favor of it (this is the 3rd or 4th lobby day, first time a governor has come.  The Lt. Governor testified to the House committee the day my wife and I did, also I think unusual.)

I don't know if the bill will pass out of the House committee this year.  But two things I'm confident about:
1) The chances improve as more people contact their House representatives
2) If it doesn't pass this year, we (my wife and I, and a number of the people we've spoken with at the events) will be back next year and the year after, and after, until it does pass.

Different matter I'm even more confident about: If it doesn't pass for the state, my wife and I will start working on Prince George's county -- the largest county with no such equality bill yet in Maryland.  I'll be back here then, asking for folks who can work with us.  By way of our prior activity, I've got some confidence that we can make some things happen.  We did some door to door work for marriage equality in 2012, which did pass in the state.  Didn't get a majority in PG, but was much closer than many had expected.  (Granted the major shift there was due to Obama, rather than us door to door folks.  Still.)  'churches' are a big concern in this.  But I already know some which will work with us, rather than against.

PM are welcome.