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WILLIAMS INSTITUTE RELEASES NEW
STUDIES ANALYZING FISCAL IMPACT
OF SAME-SEX MARRIAGE IN MD AND
DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF
OVER 15,600 SAME-SEX COUPLES
LIVING THROUGHOUT THE STATE
Press Release
For Immediate Release
Media Contacts:
Syd Peterson, 917.621.6411,
syd@rennacommunications.com
Cathy Renna, 917.757.6123,
cathy@rennacommunications.com
LOS ANGELES - The Williams
Institute at UCLA School of Law
today released two new research
studies, one estimating that
same-sex marriage in Maryland
would have a positive impact on
the state budget of
approximately $3.2 million
annually, the other analyzing
U.S. Census data to provide
demographic and economic
information for the over 15,600
same-sex couples in the state.
FISCAL ANALYSIS REPORT
The full report can be found at:
http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/MarylandFiscalImpact.pdf
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
-
Same-sex marriage in Maryland
would have a positive impact
on the state budget of
approximately $3.2 million
annually.
-
Revenues from same-sex
weddings would be about $94
million per year, providing a
major boost to Maryland
businesses and the state
economy. This spending could
generate approximately $14
million in tax revenue over
three years.
-
Extending marriage rights to
same-sex couples would reduce
the State's expenditures on
means-tested public benefit
programs by about $1.5 million
annually.
-
The net impact on the State's
income tax revenue resulting
from same-sex marriages would
be small: the State would
experience a decrease in
income tax revenue of about
$132,000 annually.
-
Maryland would experience
little effect on revenues
generated by the inheritance
tax as a result of same-sex
marriage.
-
The State would incur some
revenue loss from transfer
taxes as a result of same-sex
marriage, approximately $1.4
million annually.
-
With same-sex marriage, annual
expenditures on state employee
benefit programs would
increase between $400,000 and
$1.3 million.
-
Administrative costs generated
from same-sex marriage
certificates would be less
than the revenue generated by
license fees.
-
Approximately 7,800 of
Maryland's same-sex couples
would marry if permitted.
CENSUS SNAPSHOT
The full report can be found at:
http://www.law.ucla.edu/williamsinstitute/publications/MarylandCensusSnapshot.pdf
KEY FINDINGS INCLUDE:
-
In 2000, there were 11,243
same-sex couples living in
Maryland. By 2005, the number
of same-sex couples increased
to more than 15,600.
-
There are more than 178,000
gay, lesbian, and bisexual
people (single and coupled)
currently living in Maryland.
-
Approximately 7% of adopted
children in Maryland live with
a gay or lesbian parent.
-
Same-sex couples live in every
county in Maryland and
constitute 1.0% of all coupled
households and 0.6% of all
households in the State. In
2000, Baltimore City reported
the most same-sex couples at
2,118 (0.8% of all city
households), followed by
Montgomery County with 2,070
couples (0.6% of all county
households), Prince George's
County with 1,680 couples
(0.6%), and Baltimore County
at 1,538 couples (0.5%).
-
Despite the military's
historic policies of excluding
gay men and lesbians from
service, individuals in
same-sex couples have served
in the military: 8% of
individuals in same-sex
couples are veterans, compared
to 17% of married individuals.
SAME-SEX PARENTS HAVE FEWER
ECONOMIC RESOURCES THAN MARRIED
PARENTS
-
The median household income of
same-sex couples with children
is $41,100, or 45% lower than
that of married parents
($75,000). The average
household income of same-sex
couples with children is
$58,572, compared to $91,383
for married parents.
-
While only slightly more than
half (51%) of same-sex couples
with children own a home, 81%
of married parents own a home.
SAME-SEX COUPLES ARE ACTIVELY
ENGAGED IN THE MARYLAND ECONOMY
-
Individuals in same-sex
couples in Maryland are more
likely to be employed than
married individuals: 80% of
individuals in same-sex
couples are employed, compared
to 70% of married individuals.
-
Contrary to a popular
stereotype, men in same-sex
couples have significantly
lower incomes than married
men. On average, men in
same-sex couples in Maryland
earn $42,750 per year,
compared to $56,434 for
married men. The median income
of men in same-sex couples in
Maryland is $35,200, or 21%
less than that of married men
($44,600).
-
Women in same-sex couples earn
an average of $41,546 per year
(with a median of $35,000),
significantly more than
married women, whose earnings
average $32,787 (with a median
of $28,000), but women in
same-sex couples still earn
less than men.
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