Arora’s Flip Becomes a Flop: Will Vote for Maryland Marriage Bill, But Wants Referendum
Maryland Del. Sam Arora (D) has come under scrutiny from those who supported him during his candidacy in 2010. Arora had said he was supportive of marriage equality for LGBT people and was even the co-sponsor of House bill that would grant same-sex couples legal marriage recognition while protecting the freedoms of religious institutions.
It all changed this week when Del. Kumar Barve (D-Montgomery) confirmed that while Arora had told him he plans to vote for the measure in committee, he would vote against it on the floor.
Adding even more confusion to the developments, in a statement posted on his official web site on March 4, Arora implies that he will vote yes in committee and on the floor, insinuating that ultimately the marriage legislation will be decided by voters.
He writes:
I have heard from constituents, friends, and advocates from across the spectrum of views and have thought about the issue of same-sex marriage extensively. I understand their concern—this is a very serious issue, and one that many people feel passionately about. As the vote drew nearer, I wrestled with this issue in a way I never had before, which led me to realize that I had some concerns about the bill. While I personally believe that Maryland should extend civil rights to same-sex couples through civil unions, I have come to the conclusion that this issue has such impact on the people of Maryland that they should have a direct say. I will vote to send the bill to the floor because it deserves an up-or-down vote. On the floor, I will vote to send the bill to the governor so that Marylanders can ultimately decide this issue at the polls. I think that is appropriate.
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