Obscure Regulation Is the Next Act in Same-Sex Marriage Drama

Del. Michael Smigiel (R), shown in 2002, called the regulation defining domestic partnerships "a purely political move" by Democrats. (By Michael Lutzky -- The Washington Post)

Ups, Downs for Top Women

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A new study says women occupy 27 percent of the top posts in Maryland state government, compared with an average of 31 percent nationwide.

Virginia beats out Maryland, with women making up 36 percent of Gov. Timothy M. Kaine's Cabinet.

In "Unlocking the Cabinet: Where Women Stand in State Cabinets and Where We Need Them To Go," the Women's Campaign Forum Foundation concludes, predictably, that governors need to appoint more women to top jobs.

Women "add a unique value as public office holders," the study says, with different leadership styles than men that include a "broader, more-inclusive" approach to policymaking. The study by the Washington-based nonprofit group laments that women are overrepresented in "traditional women's fields" of human services, education, labor and health.

That's not always the case in Maryland, though, where Gov. Martin O'Malley has appointed a female budget and management secretary, chief legal counsel, aging, human services and environment secretaries among dozens of other posts.

"Obviously, a diverse Cabinet is very important to the governor," spokesman Rick Abbruzzese said. He said the study might not have counted all of the top positions in state government, some of which are not technically Cabinet secretaries but have a lot of power.

The top state for female appointees is Washington, where 52 percent of the governor's top staff are women, followed by New York, at 50 percent. North Carolina came in last, with just 20 percent. The District wasn't surveyed.

The good news for Maryland is that women are doing great compared with 10 years ago, when they held just 18 percent of state Cabinet posts. Virginia, though, is doing worse: 43 percent of the governor's top appointments in 1997 were women.

-- Lisa Rein

Area Politicians Stumping for Clinton

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Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) is spending her weekend in Iowa, stumping for her favorite presidential candidate, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). Mikulski is a national chair of Clinton's campaign.

The trip to the first caucus state is Mikulski's second this year, an aide said. Mikulski's itinerary includes several public events, including the AFSCME Iowa Council 61 "Labor Women for Hillary Clinton Breakfast" in Des Moines yesterday, where she is billed as a "special guest."

Both Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) and Lt. Gov. Anthony G. Brown (D) have also made trips to early nominating states on Clinton's behalf. Brown was also back in Iowa yesterday.

-- John Wagner