Photo by spiggycat

A same-sex marriage bill that narrowly passed the Maryland House last Friday heads next to the Senate, where proponents hope that it will quickly make its way through as it has in years past.

According to the Post, the Senate could vote on the bill as early as tomorrow, moving the legislation to Gov. Martin O’Malley’s desk as soon as the end of this week. If that happens, Maryland would become the eighth state to have moved towards marriage equality; the District also allows same-sex marriage.

Opponents aren’t out of options, though — they can still put the question to voters in November. According to the Maryland Constitution, the same-sex marriage law could be put to a referendum if opponents gather signatures from three percent of those residents that voted in the last gubernatorial election. The Maryland State Board of Election puts that number at roughly 56,000 signatures.

If those opponents succeed, Maryland voters won’t only be voting on same-sex marriage in November, but also a bill that would allow illegal immigrants who graduate from Maryland high schools to enjoy in-state tuition benefits at public universities.