Prince George's County Sen. Ulysses Currie said today he will not support the same-sex marriage bill, a decision that winnows the group of undecided senators to three.
"It has as much to do with my past ... growing up with the church in the south," said Currie this afternoon. "It is just my background. Where I grew up."
Currie, 73, is from North Carolina. "The church was the only thing we had," he said.
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In recent days there's been a focus on the handful of senators who have not decided how they will vote on the bill. Final passage in the senate requires 24 votes. Twenty-three senators are either sponsors of the bill or have said publicly that they support the measure. (See senators' positions on the bill after the jump.)
One of the three remaining wavering senators, Baltimore's Sen. Joan Carter Conway, has said she will not support the bill if it fails, but will "pray really hard" for guidance if she is the 24th voter. That's led some advocates to believe she will support the bill if her vote is needed.
The bill is expected to be voted out of the Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee Thursday and could be on the senate floor as early as next week. Question: Do you intend to vote for or against the Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Protection Act?
For
Sen. James Brochin, Baltimore County Democrat
Sen. Bill Ferguson, Baltimore Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Jennie Forehand, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Brian Frosh, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Rob Garagiola, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Lisa Gladden, Baltimore Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Verna Jones, Baltimore Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Edward Kasemeyer, Baltimore and Howard counties Democrat
Sen. Delores Kelley, Baltimore County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Nancy King, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Allan H. Kittleman, Howard County Republican
Sen. Katherine Klausmeier, Baltimore County Democrat
Sen. Richard Madaleno, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Roger Manno, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Nathaniel McFadden, Baltimore Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Karen Montgomery, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Paul Pinsky, Prince George's County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Catherine E. Pugh, Baltimore Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Victor Ramirez, Prince George's County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Jamie Raskin, Montgomery County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. James Robey, Howard County Democrat
Sen. Ronald Young, Frederick County Democrat (sponsor)
Sen. Bobby Zirkin, Baltimore County Democrat (sponsor)
Against
Sen. Joanne Benson, Prince George's County Democrat
Sen. David Brinkley, Carroll and Frederick counties RepublicanSen. James Brochin, Baltimore County DemocratSen. Richard Colburn, Eastern Shore Republican
Sen. Ulysses Currie, Prince George's County Democrat
Sen. James DeGrange, Anne Arundel County Democrat
Sen. Roy Dyson, Southern Maryland Democrat
Sen. George Edwards, Western Maryland Republican
Sen. Joseph Getty, Baltimore and Carroll counties Republican
Sen. Barry Glassman, Harford County Republican
Sen. Nancy Jacobs, Harford and Cecil counties Republican
Sen. J.B. Jennings, Baltimore and Harford counties Republican
Sen. James Mathias, Eastern Shore Democrat
Sen. Thomas Middleton, Charles County Democrat
Sen. Thomas V. Mike Miller, Prince George's and Calvert counties Democrat
Sen. C. Anthony Muse, Prince George's County Democrat
Sen. Douglas J.J. Peters, Prince George's County Democrat
Sen. E.J. Pipkin, Eastern Shore Republican
Sen. Edward Reilly, Anne Arundel County Republican
Sen. Christopher Shank, Washington County Republican
Sen. Bryan Simonaire, Anne Arundel County Republican
Sen. Norman Stone, Baltimore County Democrat
No public position/Undecided
Sen. John Astle, Anne Arundel County DemocratSen. James Brochin, Baltimore County Democrat (supports)
Sen. Joan Carter Conway, Baltimore DemocratSen. Ulysses Currie, Prince George's County Democrat (opposes)Sen. Edward Kasemeyer, Baltimore and Howard counties Democrat (supports)Sen. Katherine Klausmeier, Baltimore County Democrat (supports)
Sen. James Rosapepe, Prince George's County Democrat