WASHINGTON 鈥� A bill to end the parental rights of rapists appears poised to clear the Maryland Senate after passing on second reading Friday morning.
The bill, which has been declared a priority by Senate and House leaders as well as Gov. Larry Hogan, is set for a third reading on the Senate floor and has been cross-filed in the House.
During Friday鈥檚 debate, Sen. Dolores Kelly, D-Baltimore, urged her colleagues to resist adding amendments to the bill. 鈥淚n nine prior years this bill has been before the two chambers, and we鈥檝e not been able to get it out. I don鈥檛 think we need to start adding Christmas tree lights at this point 鈥� we鈥檇 like to move it forward.鈥�
Lisae Jordan, executive director and counsel at the Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault, said one amendment was welcome: a change that would make it an emergency bill: 鈥淭hat means that if it passes, and it gets through the House and the governor signs it, it will be effective immediately and we can start helping survivors who are pregnant as the result of rape the very next day.鈥�
