I received a copy in my email today of the Equality Maryland (EqMD) whip count for HB 235 (the gender identity bill for employment and housing antidiscrimination protections), and a thumbnail link to the whip count is above. According to Dana Beyer, as reported in Maryland Senate Prez Tells Advocates He Will Expedite Gender Identity Bill If It Passes Committee:
"Senator Thomas Miller (D-Calvert and Prince George's Counties) told us that if Equality Maryland could show him the votes on the Senate floor, if we get out of this committee, he will expedite our Senate vote," Beyer said.
The whip count EqMD had stated the bill has twenty-seven votes. And, that whip count came with a note that said this would have been for a bill that included public accommodation. Without a public accommodation in the bill, the number is probably higher.
Twenty-four votes are needed for passage, and twenty-nine votes for cloture -- although Sen. Miller can apparently wrangle a cloture whenever he decides, such as how he did for the marriage equality bill which had fewer than twenty-nine votes for cloture.
In other words, the EqMD whip count indicates the votes are there to pass the HB 235. If he does what he says he would, the bill should be coming up for a vote on the Senate floor.
Now it's apparently completely up to Sen. Miller whether that happens.
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Further Reading:
* AmericaBlog Gay: In Maryland Senate, votes are there to pass Gender Identity Anti-Discrimination bill
* Metro Weekly: Gender Identity Bill Put on Hold in Maryland, But Committee Vote Expected Saturday