(Concord, New Hampshire) Legislation that would make New Hampshire the fifth state in the nation to approve same-sex marriage is set for an initial vote Wednesday in the state Senate.

Following the vote, Sen. Deborah Reynolds (D), the committee chair and the Democrat who called for the rejection of the bill, said New Hampshire’s civil unions law is currently working and supporters of gay marriage need more time to “build consensus on this issue.”  

The bill narrowly passed the House last month.

Wednesday the Senate likely will start with a vote on the committee’s recommendation that the marriage bill be killed.  That would need the approval of 13 of the 24 members of the Senate.

If the bill survives that vote, the Senate could then vote to table the legislation, effectively killing it for the remainder of this session. If the marriage bill makes it all the way to a final vote and is approved it would still need the signature of Gov John Lynch, (D) who has said he is opposed to gay marriage but has avoided questions on whether he would veto it.

All 10 Republicans in the Senate say they will vote to kill the bill.  Democrats are reportedly divided. Only eight have said they intend to vote in favor of same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage already is legal in three New England states – Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont. A Maine Senate committee is expected to vote on gay marriage today. That leaves Rhode Island as the only state in the region where same-sex marriage legislation has not advanced.