Advocates for same-sex marriage say this is the year for Maryland to pass legislation allowing gay couples to marry, even if it means bringing the issue before voters alongside another controversial measure.

Opponents are vowing to petition any gay-marriage legislation approved by the General Assembly to put it on the general election ballot. That means voters could be asked to weigh in on gay marriage at the same time they would decide the fate of the much-debated Dream Act.

Foes of the Dream Act, which grants in-state college tuition to students who are in the country illegally, but who meet certain conditions, already have collected enough signatures to allow voters to reconsider the measure in the November.

On the surface, it would seem that two controversial measures could be ripe for picking off in a single sweep.

But, Del. Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr. said convincing voters to uphold a marriage law could be easier than gathering support for the tuition legislation.

With same-sex marriage, advocates can wage a public relations campaign that focuses on family and commitment, values that tend to resonate with voters, said Mitchell (D-Baltimore), who supports both measures.

A survey commissioned in October by the Human Rights Campaign and conducted by the Garin Hart Yang polling firm showed that 51 percent would support same-sex marriage in Maryland if the issue went to referendum.

Another poll, conducted by Gonzales Research and Marketing Strategies, that surveyed voters about several statewide issues put support for same-sex marriage at 48 percent among Marylanders who vote regularly.

“I haven’t really seen the lay of the land throughout the state on the Dream Act. That can be a concern,” Mitchell said. “But again, what’s the alternative? There are always going to be risks involved. What happens now in terms of moving forward?”

And, having the Dream Act and same-sex marriage on the same ballot could turn out to be a boon for supporters of both issues, said Donald F. Norris, chairman of the Department of Public Policy at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and director of the Maryland Institute for Policy Analysis and Research.

“[You] would have two liberal groups out trying to drum up support for both of those,” Norris said.

A weak Republican presidential candidate in 2012 also could ensure a referendum defeat for both issues, because conservative voters would be more likely to stay home, he said.

The law’s chance of surviving a referendum would be higher in 2012, a presidential election year, than in 2014, when state and congressional candidates will be on the ballot, Norris said.

“Whenever it happens, if it does happen, it’s going to end up on a referendum,” Norris said. “If it ends up on the general [election ballot], I would think that would be a better year [than 2014] because turnout would be higher and that would benefit liberals.”

Kathy Dempsey, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Catholic Conference, which supports the Dream Act and opposes same-sex marriage, said having both bills on the ballot might simplify her group’s lobbying efforts.

“I think we could see Catholics who support us on both issues,” Dempsey said. “The supporters of same-sex marriage may be a little more concerned [about that].”

Proponents of same-sex marriage are hoping sponsorship by Gov. Martin O’Malley will help swing the handful of votes that kept the bill from passing last year.

After unexpectedly clearing the Senate without much fanfare, the bill was hung up in the House, as some lawmakers failed to show up for committee votes and flip-flopped on their support.

Ultimately, leaders, fearing they did not have enough votes to pass the bill, had it removed from the floor without a vote.

To avoid such pitfalls in the 2012 legislative session, which begins next week, the General Assembly needs to take up the legislation as soon as possible, Mitchell said.

“Right now. Get it out as soon as possible,” Mitchell said. “Last year it was so much. It went through fast in the Senate and then it came to the House, and it just dragged in the House. It took weeks. All the air and the energy got sucked out of the State House after that.”

Advocates are focused on convincing a handful of fence-sitting legislators to support gay marriage rather than worrying about a referendum, said Carrie Evans, executive director for Equality Maryland, a gay-rights advocacy group.

“There are people who may feel strongly about the Dream Act and not support marriage equality, or vice versa,” Evans said. “We think there are two important issues, and we’ll hopefully be able to work together on the referendum if we’re on it together.”

That lack of focus on a potential referendum recently drew fire from the executive director of a national same-sex marriage advocacy group, Freedom to Marry.

In December, Evan Wolfson told the Washington Blade that he would like to see a plan for handling the same-sex marriage fight at the ballot box, not just in the legislature.

Wolfson’s group chose not to join a coalition of organizations, including Equality Maryland, supporting gay marriage in Maryland.

“Evan’s entitled to his opinion, but we’re in the trenches doing the work,” Evans said.

Wolfson and other Freedom to Marry staff members were not available to comment this week.

Opponents of the Dream Act began organizing a petition to move that law to the ballot last summer.

Although their petition effort still faces a legal challenge from Dream supporters, Del. Patrick L. McDonough (R-Baltimore, Harford) said he isn’t ruling out a collaboration between the petition group and people opposed to same-sex marriage.

“I’m not saying that at some point in time, possibly over the summer, that there won’t be coordination and collaboration,” McDonough said.

sbreitenbach@gazette.net