A year after the state Senate changed its prayer rules to accommodate legislators who objected to references to Jesus from the rostrum, a Carroll County senator has proposed a bill to guarantee the right of lawmakers and others to make reference to specific religious figures before a government body is called to order.
Sen. Larry E. Haines, a Republican, said he believes rules requiring ecumenical prayer violate the First Amendment and that Christians, in particular, have been prevented from expressing their religious beliefs.
The last time Haines led a Senate prayer, two years ago, he ended with the phrase, "In Jesus' name I pray," which helped spark the change in Senate rules making attendance at opening prayers optional.
"It seems like Christianity is no longer tolerated. We're censured when in prayers we mention the deity we serve," he said.
The bill was introduced late in the session and, as a result, is not guaranteed a committee hearing, much less a vote on the Senate floor.
But the issue of prayer in the Senate still may not be settled. Sen. Sharon Grosfeld, a Montgomery County Democrat, has renewed her push to prevent guests from leading Senate prayers, which she said would help prevent references to specific religious figures.
"It concerns me a great deal that any legislator would put a bill like this in because it is promoting a particular religion, regardless of what that religion might be," said Grosfeld, who is Jewish.
Del. Don Dwyer Jr., an Anne Arundel County Republican, said Haines' legislation is needed to clarify the rules for all government bodies in the state. He said prohibitions against sectarian prayer discriminate against Christians.
"As a member of the Christian faith, I have to pray to [Jesus], or else I'm not able to pray at all," Dwyer said.
Haines said he believes that if the prayer is conducted immediately before a government body comes to order, it could not be construed as official establishment of a particular religion.
But Grosfeld said she believes the bill is unconstitutional. She noted a 2004 decision by the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Maryland, which ruled in favor of a Wiccan woman who objected to public meetings that opened with prayers that usually mention Jesus.
Guests who lead prayers in the Senate are usually -- but not always -- Christian. They are instructed to make their prayers nonsectarian. Most obey the rule, but several in the past have made references to Jesus.