Md Republicans Opt For Conservative Leadership

In a state where a marriage equality bill has a chance of becoming law this year, Maryland Republicans on Friday selected a new senate minority leader after state senator Allan Kittleman, who deemed himself to be too socially moderate to represent his colleagues, stepped down from the post earlier this week.

Senate Republicans appointed Sen. Nancy Jacobs to the position, which drew immediate criticism from the Maryland Democratic Party. "Nancy Jacobs is wedded to positions that are far-right, divisive, and out of the mainstream," state Democrats said in a statement.

Kittleman drew opposition from many of his GOP colleagues when he announced earlier this month that he would sponsor a civil unions bill -- one that some equality advocates have said may distract from the marriage effort. (Read more on the Maryland marriage equality push here.)

On a Friday conference call with reporters, Morgan Meneses-Sheets, executive director of Equality Maryland, detailed a carefully coordinated time line in which the marriage equality bill would be introduced in the house of delegates on Tuesday, followed by a hearing in the key senate committee the first week of February. She predicted the full senate would vote on the measure, known as Senate Bill 116, before the end of next month.