"Pro-Family" Maryland Committee Chairman Stabs Family In Back
The Biggest Treachery in Maryland's Legislative History
Joseph Vallario, D-Prince George's, the committee chairman of the Maryland Judiciary committee was opposed to same sex marriage prior to the vote in committee. He had campaigned for re-election and said publicly he was for traditional marriage and opposed to homosexual marriage legislation.
All week the bill was debated in Maryland. Day in and day out.
The bill was about to be defeated with the open defection of Delegate Tiffany Alston (D) the vote would be 11 to 11 in the committee and it would be stalled and not voted out of committee.
But Chairman Joseph Vallario deserted the pro-family side and flipped. Without any prior announcement of a change in his position, Vallario betrayed entire legislative and election process and switched sides.
Here's the details from the Baltimore Examiner:
Yet with Alston switching her vote, this left the bill one vote shy of the needed 12-votes for passage? Therefore, staunch opponent of the measure, the Prince George's County Chairman of the committee, chose to vote 'yea' on the bill in committee only to "see it get the up or down vote it deserves on the floor of the entire House [of Delegates]."
Though his actions infuriated certain long-time supporters of the delegates, who said they contributed and voted for the Delegate almost solely off his stance against the divisive social issue during past election cycles.
"For him to be the defining vote that kept this bill alive, and then have the nerve to say its out of some sort of Democratic interest, is proposterous and totally outrageuous," said an anonymous district resident and lobbyist.
GOP members blasted the chairman's handling of the measure as irresponsible and agregious, as he purposely held the voting session initially though they had a quorum, and then used his vote to appease the Democratic leadership and gay advocacy community, knowing he has always been against it, perverting the system of democracy.......
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