New laws take effect Wednesday in Md.

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By ASSOCIATED PRESS

ANNAPOLIS -- Legalizing gay marriage remains an elusive goal for activists in Maryland, but gay couples are gradually achieving some of the same rights as married heterosexual couples.

The latest example, which takes effect Wednesday with a variety of other new laws, exempts domestic partners who co-own homes from the state inheritance tax.

Maryland levies no inheritance tax on property passing to spouses, children, parents, grandparents, stepchildren, stepparents and siblings under current law. Others pay a 10 percent tax on the property's value, a tax that applied to domestic partners until the change in the law.

Lawmakers approved legislation last year to allow same-sex partners to make medical and burial decisions for each other. Domestic partners also became eligible last year for tax benefits that married people receive when transferring property.

Maryland's highest court ruled in 2007 that lawmakers may change state law to allow same-sex couples to marry. Gay-marriage legislation was introduced in 2008 and in the last legislative session, but lawmakers did not take action on either bill.

Another new law taking effect in Maryland on Wednesday will require local law enforcement agencies that deploy SWAT teams to report the deployments to the governor's office.

The SWAT team reporting law was passed in response to a raid by Prince George's County authorities on the home of Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo, whose two black Labradors were killed in the raid. Drug smugglers had sent a package containing 32 pounds of marijuana to his residence, but police later cleared Mr. Calvo and his family of any wrongdoing.

The law will require law enforcement agencies to submit reports on SWAT team deployments every six months to the governor's office.

Mr. Calvo, who pushed for the legislation, said the law will create an oversight mechanism for deployments and make authorities more careful in how they use SWAT teams.

"When you know someone is watching, you behave differently," Mr. Calvo said.